Glamour Shots
by A Dreamer Always
Summary: Hinata and Sakura used to be best friends, but modeling changed it. Now, years later, Hinata's behind the camera and Sakura's in front. But it's Uchiha Sasuke who demands their attention. AU
1. It Started With a Flyer on the Board

Hey, you! It's me, CocoaAngel95! I don't know crap about the modeling world, but I know enough to get by XD

This is kind of short, even for me, but hey! We all gotta start somewhere! And I've been wanting to do this for awhile, actually :]

So here's the Prologe to Glamour Shots! I hope you enjoy!

* * *

It was spring. From the high temperature and awful humidity, it was _definitely_ spring. But with spring came the pink cherry blossoms, and the trading of long-sleeved to short-sleeved oxfords, and shorts, and bathing suits. (What person wasn't worried about bathing suits?) With spring came the promise of finding summer love and staying up late into the cool evenings to watch the stars.

Hinata loved this season best, even though autumn came a close second. Spring was kind of like autumn, only in reverse, and just as beautiful. Once the snow was gone, the grass went from dry and brown to crispy and green. It grew and grew until you had to have the gardener cut it, and every flower, from cosmos to roses, came back into bloom. Everything had gone in reverse.

But it was this particular spring that something would change. Hinata had always been one for staying quiet and to the side. She didn't shine brightly like her firecracker sister, Hanabi, or so she thought. She was quiet; observant. She knew things other people didn't know themselves. Like how Inuzuka Kiba got quieter as he grew more serious/angry. Or how Uzumaki Naruto's eyes turned different shades of blues, even though their original color was a beautiful cyan.

Just like any other morning, Hinata was scrambling to cross the dew-covered great lawn in a new pair of black leather Christian Louboutin short boots. It was custom to Konoha Academy tradition. After spring vacation, you came back with a new style, a new look. Her new look was her hair, cut and layered now that it fell to her tiny waist. And the three and three-quarter inches she had put on from spending all spring break outside with Hanabi and her older cousin Neji.

"Hinata-chan, come here!" Haruno Sakura pulled her friend across the green, green lawn, her jade-green eyes wide with excitement. The sixteen-year-olds bounded up the concerte stairs of the front doors and headed towards the big corkboard on the wall just in front of the doors to Konoha Academy, the sounds of the usual day surrounding them.

"See, see?" Sakura pointed at a particular flyer, bouncing in her new metallic green satin Jimmy Choo slides. "We could totally try out!"

Hyuga Hinata studied the flyer with welcoming opulence eyes. It was a flyer for "beautiful people" looking for a "glamorous job." Modeling, in other words. She cocked her head; a curtain of inky dark purple heavy bangs slanting against her pale forehead. "You want to be a . . . model?"

"Yes!" Sakura placed her manicured hands on Hinata's shoulders, looking her right in the eye. "We're tall, and pretty! We could totally become models! We'll even get the same agent and work the same hours! We'll be glamorous, Hinata-chan! Doesn't that sound _exciting_? Adventurious?"

Hinata nodded softly, watching as her friend practically overflowed with joy. "It does sound nice."

"I know, I know! We'll get to meet hot guys! Hey, hey!" Sakura locked their elbows together, saying in a sly voice. "Maybe even Naruto will notice you?"

Hinata blushed, looking back to the fly. It was a pale yellow, and seemed to read with an obnoxious, self-centered voice. She nibbled her glossed lip, her opulence eyes falling to the floor as she reasoned with herself. It couldn't _hurt_ to at least try out, could it? It wasn't as if she would get sucked into a world so glaringly different, that her life would change forever, would it?

Oh how wrong she was.

* * *

So, that's a glimpse into the before! But soon, there will be an after, and I really hope you'll like it!

See you next time! I'm outtie ~CocoaAngel95 :]


	2. Nine Years After The Fact

I'm back! Sorry it took so long!

So here's chappie 2! It took me a while to get this, but I'm pretty sure this shall please you!

Disclaimor: I do not own any of the Naruto charactors :P

Enjoy! :]

* * *

Hinata sighed, running a hand through her glossy auburn hair. That memory had been from nine years ago. Nine years ago, she and Sakura used to be the most recognized girls in school. Nine years ago, she used to be the cutest, nicest teenage model anyone had ever seen. Nine years ago, she used to light up the small screen in the mass's living rooms with her shy smile and lilac-tinted pupil-less eyes. Nine years ago, she used to be the spokesperson for every acne-cream, every back to school commercial and shampoo commercial and even did few shots had a few rips to add to her portfolio.

But that had been over nine years ago. Her eyes closed as she looked to the shots in front of her. The scene was quite elegant actually. The model, a six-foot woman with fiery orange hair stared back into the camera with incredible emotion in her gray eyes. Her wild mane had been straightened and twisted into a tight chignon. A slinky purple floor-length gown hugged her slender body to utter perfection.

This scene was supposed to depict a designer's spring collection, but all the focus was on the woman's eyes. People would flock to the man's store to get a glimpse of that girl on the bags. The gray color was so full of emotion and passion that even Hinata had a hard time looking away. This girl, she could tell, was going to go very, _very_ far.

Hinata cracked her knuckles, leaning back in her blue mesh swivel chair. That model had been a real challenge. The girl knew she was good, practically a steal for what Hinata was paying her, so she milked that to her use. Hinata had actually regretted using her now. The eyes were pulling away from the dress, but Hinata had been too entranced to care at the moment.

"Sucker," Hinata whispered under her breath, before standing and smoothing down her lavender deep V-neck Ralph Lauren Blue Lable top with three-quarter length sleeves. Her father had always said she had a habit of doing impulsive things. She raked her French-manicured fingers through her layered auburn hair with a soft sigh. That move had only proved her father's point.

She stepped from behind her desk and threw open the doors of her spacious office. A line of models was already beginning and Hinata had the feeling today was going to be a long day. Looking for people for an underwear shoot wasn't going to be easy. And even though she had spent four of those nine years doing just that, she still couldn't get over the fact that she did this for a job. Because it was most fun she had ever dared to have in twenty-five years of life.

"Okay," Hinata smiled warmly at the first person in front of her. The poor boy practically fell over the minute he landed eyes on her. She laughed softly, opening the door wider so he could step inside. For her, it was always easier to loosen up around people who she had never meet. They didn't know her. They couldn't judge her like the people she was around all day. They didn't know she was smarter than their parents. They didn't know she came from a family that went back for tens of hundreds of generations.

She tilted her head and switched to English, watching as his face revealed his relief. "Let's get started. What's your name?"

--X--

Sakura rubbed her forehead, her emerald eyes closed. Wherever that memory had come from, she didn't know. And honestly, she didn't want to think about it. Hinata had . . . Hinata had decided modeling wasn't for her. She just wasn't comfortable with taking risks, even though her body was beyond perfect for the skimpiest of lingerie. Sakura was more for high fashion and weird works of art. Hinata had wanted to stick to commercials, even though she had the body for Victoria Secret runways.

Sakura leaned back in her hanging egg chair, drawing her knees in and pulling a white with green zebra stripes throw pillow into her lap. Hinata had left for something far less glamorous than modeling; photography. She had even gone so far as to change her major in college to photography and film so that she could become a professional photographer. She had left Sakura alone to deal with all the emotions and troubles that came with modeling.

But that was nine years ago. And it wasn't her fault Sakura had gone through that. Hinata couldn't handle the pressure of letting strange people touch and prod her body into the perfect position. She got tired of flashing a smile that she no longer felt was hers. She grew weary of the ongoing parties and hangovers and shopping that modeling seemed to be. But Sakura had thrived in it. She had loved the way everyone looked at her and told how pretty she looked. There was no way in hell she was ever going to give it up.

Her emerald eyes fell on the radio clock sitting on her glass coffee table in her loft apartment. It was four in the afternoon and every curtain in the spacious place had been closed. She had just gotten home from a three-day shoot on the beach somewhere exotic. For the last three days, she had dry sex with a man in the sand, before the turf, in front of a group of photographers, for a magazine. Three days of getting yelled at, throwing fits and waking up early and going to sleep late.

Climbing from the chair, she walked across the ivory carpet in just her hot pink satin short robe. She wasn't even wearing anything under it. When she had gotten home, she had just taken a shower and fallen asleep. In the kitchen, she ordered take-out, not caring for the calories she was about to make herself down. She was hungry, and pizza was cheap. Besides, she deserved a treat and a small vegetarian was the least she could ask for.

Her Blackberry Pearl rang and she sighed, leaning against the granite countertop of her island. Pressing the phone to her gold stud-pierced ear, she stared at the clock on her stainless steel stove, knowing that in twenty minutes or less, a man was going to be walking through her door with a pizza box and she was probably going to be in her robe.

Which was just fine with her. She had done it before, and she had absolutely no problem doing it again.

* * *

So what do you think?

I think I'm going to tell this story through Hinata and Sakura's POV. I have no clue as to how this is going to go but

It's gonna get there!

I'm outtie~ CocoaAngel95 :]


	3. So Many Years Have Gone By

It's finally here! Aren't you just so happy!

I know I am. It took me forever to come up with this thing XD

Anyways, there's a surprise in store, so get ready! :]

* * *

"I want to do something _completely_ out of the ordinary," Hinata said softly, her intensely colored eyes focused on the shots in front of her. She tapped a French-tipped nail on the picture of a beautiful male model with onyx eyes and a serious expression far too old for his twenty-five years. "And I want to use him. But with a girl."

"What were you thinking?" her personal assistant Yumi asked, setting Hinata's piping hot green tea on a coaster.

"Something extremely high-fashion," Hinata smiled up at her. "We'll incorporate bright colors and unusual poses. But . . ." she bit her lip, looking to the man again. "I don't know who he should be paired with. I mean, the girl from before with the gray eyes would be nice, but their eye color is too close for my liking. And I certainly don't want to use the girl before that."

Yumi pursed her glossy red lips, nodding seriously. "You have a problem there, Hyuga-sama."

Hinata sighed, sitting back in her chair. "I know. So how do I fix it? I mean, I want to use him." She tapped the picture again and Yumi leaned over. Suddenly, the twenty-two year old snapped up, her brown eyes wide with surprise. "You want to use _Uchiha Sasuke_?"

"You know him?" Hinata said, sipping on her cooling tea. Her eyes fell on his pictures again with a soft smile. "Why does that name sound so familiar?"

"It's only because he started modeling as a child!" Yumi was practically hyperventilating. "Rumor says that he was abused by this photographer but that's only a rumor. He quit modeling because his mother became sick with cancer. It was terrible! He made a come back at eighteen, after leaving for a decade! But he's back! He's really, really back! It's been so long since I've seen such a perfect shot of him!" She smiled dreamily at his six-pack.

Hinata handed Yumi her least favorite shot, which Yumi was drooling over. He had his thumbs hooked in the loops of his jeans, and had his head cocked, beckoning you with his eyes. But the focus wasn't on his eyes. It was on his body and that wasn't what she was looking for.

"You're . . . You're giving this to me?" Yumi gasped, cradling the photo against her chest. "Oh, Hyuga-sama! You don't know how much this means to me!" She sighed happily, looking to the photo as if it were her first born. "This has turned into the best day _ever_."

Hinata laughed softly, standing from behind her desk. "You're such a nice girl, Yumi. Don't get yourself mixed in with the wrong crowd." Hinata teasingly wagged a finger at the photo. "Don't go messing with the mind of my most brilliant assistant."

Yumi blushed happily, setting the photo on her large tote bag and starting after Hinata. "Thank you, Hyuga-sama. But I do know who you could use for the picture with Uchiha Sasuke."

"Oh?" Hinata set the mug down on her coffee table, pulling a few files from a cabinet. "And who might that be?"

"Haruno Sakura."

Hinata blinked, slowly turning to face a proudly smiling Yumi. "Haruno . . . _Sakura_?"

"Oh yeah!" Yumi nodded excitedly. "I heard from some other people that she's really into that kind of stuff. You know, the high fashion. They say she's the best for that kind of thing. And she does great in posing and stuff like that. But she hasn't been doing a lot of high-fashion lately." Yumi frowned. "I don't know though . . . "

"Call her," Hinata whispered, her eyes closing. "I want to use her. I want Haruno Sakura in my office by fourteen hundred." She turned around and pointed an authoritive figure at Yumi, her eyes completely serious. "And I mean by fourteen hundred, Yumi."

Yumi nodded, watching as her boss swept out of the room. "Yes, Hyuga-sama."

--X--

Sakura frowned, staring up at the tall skyscraper. In the spring humidity, she remembered the first time she had walked into a skyscraper this huge. She had had Hinata beside her then, and she was even more nervous than Sakura had been. Hinata had looked ready to drop in a faint but with "brave" Sakura right beside her, that hadn't happened. And they had gotten their first job together.

Of course that was _nine years ago_.

She slid on a pair of white tortuous shell Dior sunglasses and waltzed through the front door in her white cowboy boots. She hadn't been given the name of her the woman who had wanted to see her, just that her assistant would meet her in the lobby.

Popping her gum, she signed in with the receptionist and turned to see a girl in a cobalt blue tank top layered over a red wife beater with black ankle-length jeans and black Hermes flat riding boots coming towards her. Sakura had a feeling that the woman upstairs would be more eccentrically dressed this girl.

"Hi!" the assistant chirped, bowing deeply. "I'm Yumi, Hyuga-sama's personal assistant! It's a pleasure to meet you, Haruno-san."

Sakura stopped chewing her gum, her emerald eyes widening behind the brown shades of her glasses. "Are you . . . Are you serious?"

"Huh?" Yumi said softly, her expression switching gracefully from happiness to confusion. With her blunt chin-length bob and big brown eyes, she was pretty cute. But that wasn't the point. The point was that . . .

"Hyuga Hinata is my _photographer_?" Sakura asked, taking off her glasses and letting her well-glossed mouth drop open. "Hyuga Hinata . . . This is her _company_?"

"Um, yeah?" Yumi answered before shrugging and motioning for Sakura to follow her. "You're going to love, Hyuga-sama. She's so nice!"

Sakura felt her stomach tie itself into a hundred million knots. She hadn't seen Hinata in over _five_ years. What did she look like now? Was she still kind and soft spoken? Was she still the nervous, twittering woman Sakura had last seen her as? Had she cut her hair? God, she hoped Hinata hadn't cut her beautiful auburn hair.

All through the ride in the clear elevator to the top, she held her stomach, hoping to God they had something she could eat. Knowing Hinata, there probably would be. She had always been the best at consoling people. Especially people you didn't know. Hinata had always said you could be somebody completely different in front of people who didn't know you or your past.

The minute she walked into the office, she gasped, her eyes landing on the man in the seat across from Hinata's desk. Hinata immediately blocked her view, wearing a pastel green wife beater, a white knit bolero jacket and a swishy draped floral skirt with pastel green flip flops. She had taken her butt-length hair and managed to twist some of it into a knot at the back of her head, but it mostly fell down her back.

Hinata smiled at her, looking bright and cheerful as usual. "Sakura-chan! It's been so long!"

Sakura nodded, the knot in her stomach loosening. "It has. I . . . I missed you, Hinata-chan."

Hinata let out a soft laugh and gave her a quick hug before stepping back. "Me too. But now isn't the time for that kind of thing. We're here for business, so let's get down to it."

She rested a hand on the back of the man's chair. Sakura held her breath as Hinata looked to the man, who was too busy messing with his LG Dare and eating a warm muffin, which he had advertised about six months ago. The phone, not the muffin. "I want you to meet Uchiha Sasuke. He'll be modeling with you."

* * *

Surprise! Sasuke's here! And he's modeling!

Can you guess the guy who the guy was who "abused" Sasuke?

Hint: Think of a snake! XD

Anyways, I hope you enjoyed^^

I'm outtie~ CocoaAngel95 :]


	4. Raining Huskies and Poodles

So here's chapter 4! Right on schedule!

I took me some time. I'm having a hard time, but I need to get the story going before I start any drama.

I need to get some ground before anything happens . . .

Enjoy! :]

* * *

Hinata rubbed her neck, closing her eyes with a sigh. Her life had gotten so . . . _boring_. Nothing like the fast pace of modeling. Everything from the parties, the shoots, and especially the fame. One minute, she was the hottest thing out there, her picture plastered all over the screen and billboard with her manicured fingers closed around a bottle of acne-cream, cute pencil case or pomegranate-smelling shampoo.

Falling back into the pastel-colored throw pillows on her queen-sized bed, she massaged her neck, her eyes focused on the mirrors above her bed. Her place was anything but normal. Shy and soft-spoken she may be, but her wardrobe and home décor was anything but. Everything was bright, cheerful, and just fun all around.

With sigh, she rolled onto her stomach, still massaging her neck. When she and Sakura had been in the modeling business, that's how their apartment had looked like. While Sakura was more into shopping and dating cute guys, Hinata had spent her time trying to feel comfortable even though she was never in the same place for a long time. She wasn't like Sakura and dressing "cute casual" because any guy could come and surprise her. No, she had spent her time in brightly colored Juicy sweatpants and flip-flops.

Her eyes drifted towards her camera equipment sitting on the glass coffee table beside her big bed. All of it was ready for tomorrow, when she would go to the studio. For a week, she would do nothing but take pictures of Sakura and Sasuke. While Sasuke was so dark and icy, Sakura was bright, bubbly. They were a perfect match for the camera. Sakura would lighten up Sasuke's darkness and make him seem more welcoming. Sasuke would dampen Sakura's intense nature and make her more approachable.

Rolling onto her side, she dropped her tired arm and reached for her digital alarm clock. The neon blue numbers blinked on and off, their brightness obscuring the darkness of her room. How many times had she lain awake at night, listening to the sound of her roommates snoring or whatever noise they made in their sleep? How many times had she whispered to Sakura all her fears and discomforts about that place?

With another sigh, she pulled her mauve sheets up to her nose. Countless times. Countless times she had clung to Sakura, shaking and trembling. Countless times she had nearly burst into tears for being yelled at for not emoting the right expression on her face. Countless times it had been Sakura who had stood up for her and held her hand.

Sakura had been a good friend. And Hinata had left her in that lonely world. But Sakura _wanted_ to stay. Sakura had wanted to be told that she was pretty and that she had a big future in front of her. Hinata closed her eyes to the darkness, feeling the emotions rolling through her mind. Sakura had been day to Hinata's night. They had been best friends _despite_ their differences.

And Hinata had left her.

"Okay," Hinata murmured softly, sitting up in bed. Climbing from under the sheets and pillows, she bolted towards her bathroom for a hot bath. There was nothing worse than being up late at night trying to figure out her thoughts. Especially since she had convinced herself long ago that Sakura had plenty of chances to call her and she hadn't.

Her throat constricted as she waited for her garden tub to fill up. There had been so many times when she had wanted to pick up the phone and dial Sakura's number. But she hadn't, because she had been too scared Sakura had forgotten about her. Modeling wasn't as glamorous as Sakura had made it seem. She had been too scared Sakura would convince her to come back.

Clumsily, she climbed into the scalding water while using a jaw clip to hold up her hair. Enough thinking. Deep meaningful thoughts always managed to make her past seem so much more evident. She was afraid people could read her expressions, know she was covering her real emotions with fake ones to fool even the best of eye readers. She _had_ grown up in the Hyuga household after all.

Besides, she had a photo shoot in the morning. With Uchiha Sasuke and Haruno Sakura, two of the fashion world's most renowned faces. She should be rejoicing that they were doing it for such small paychecks. Not reminiscing over the past because Sakura was back in her life, if only for a week.

And then an idea hit her.

--X--

"Good morning, Hyuga-sama!" Yumi chirped as Hinata walked into the building. "Are you ready-" She stopped as Hinata set down the boxes she was carrying under her arms. "What are those for?"

Hinata smiled sweetly at her, pushing up the long-sleeves of her cream V-neck oversized men's sweater, which barely reached her black-leggings covered knees. "For the shoot."

Yumi opened the first box and Hinata chuckled warmly as her eyes widened. The girl pulled an apricot toy puddle puppy from the blue velvet-lined inside, her eyes sparkling happily. "No way!"

Hinata nodded, opening the next box and holding up a black-and-white Husky puppy. "Yes way, Yumi-chan. Kiba-kun was kind enough to let me borrow four of these cuties." She tucked the dog under her arm and picked up the other, doing the same. "Let's see how well my clients do with dogs."

Yumi lifted the other from the box and cradled them against her chest, her cheeks warm with happiness. "They're so _cute_! I just want to hug them and squeeze them and love them!"

Hinata laughed softly, her brown leather cowboy boots clomping against the tiled floor. "Good. That's what puppies are supposed to do. If they get Sasuke and Sakura in a good mood, then maybe we'll keep them."

They walked into the studio just off the first level and Hinata set the dogs down, watching as they bolted towards her crew. "Sasuke and Sakura are due to arrive in the next twenty minutes. I want someone to watch after these little guys for me." She pointed towards Yumi as she swept out of the room. "Yumi, make sure you get some food and water for those little guys. And that they stay out of trouble."

Yumi saluted her, her posture ramrod straight. "Yes ma'am! Will do ma'am."

--X--

"Why are there dogs in the studio?"

Sakura blinked as Sasuke gently nudged a Husky puppy out of his way with his foot, only to have the dog attack his sneaker. Before she could slap a hand over her glossed mouth, her giggle caught his attention. He raised an eyebrow at her as she turned away, blushing darkly.

Managing a smile, she nonchalantly adjusted her turquoise halter-top. "I wouldn't know. You'd have to ask Hinata-chan for an answer to that."

Right on cue, Hinata walked back into the studio. She smiled at them, hands on the hips of her sweater. Her glossy auburn was up in an ultra high ponytail, reminding Sakura of a genie. A bright red ribbon sat at the back of her head and somehow tied her whole outfit together. She didn't even have to wear jewelry.

"Good," she said, her voice just as soft as warm bread. "You're here. I was worried you wouldn't make it for a second." She let out a soft chuckle and glided past them, her ponytail swishing. She scooped up the Husky and shoved him into Sasuke's arms. "Today, we'll be working with dogs." Her eyes sparkled as she turned away from them. "Hurry or we'll never finish."

Before she was even two feet away, Sasuke said in an even voice, "What do we need the dogs for?"

Sakura nodded eagerly, picking up a poodle. "Have you ever worked with dogs before, Hinata-chan? I mean, this is the first time I've ever done so . . ."

"I haven't, actually."

Sakura blinked as Hinata smiled softly at her. She had said that so blatantly, as if it were a normal occurrence. Hinata wasn't even afraid that something would go wrong. Instead, she picked up a puppy and cooed to it, walking away to deal with some other stuff. Sakura giggled softly, looking to Sasuke. "Now, _that's_ confidence. I which I had some of that."

"Hn." He held the puppy at eye-level for a moment before setting it on the ground and walking away. Sakura huffed softly, looking to the puppy in her manicured hands. So the rumors were true. Sasuke wasn't an easy person to be around. Tucking the puppy close to her chest, she followed after him. It didn't mean she was going to stop trying though.

* * *

I know, it's a little short, but that's how it's gonna be for a while. Until I get the plot going at least.

From there, it's smooth sailing. There's gonna be alot to happen in the next few chapters.

You just have to stick around to see XD

I'm outtie~ CocoaAngel95 :]


	5. Yukatas and Cherry Blossoms

Urge, I'm hating this! I just want to write something juicy! But I need ground first, so you're gonna have to bear with me

*Sigh* So, for now, enjoy this new chapter^^

And I'm sorry this took so long :]

Oh! And you'll be glad to know I did a little research! I bet you didn't know what those little Japanese tables were called, did ya?

XD Enjoy! :]

* * *

"Ohayo!"

Hinata swept into the studio, dressed in a silk midnight blue summer yukata with a indigo obi. The white cherry blossom petals seemed to move with every step as she walked towards Sakura and Sasuke, her smile warm as usual. Her auburn hair was slicked back into a low ponytail, with a few glittery barrettes holding her bangs off her forehead. A black choker with a heart-shaped pendant sat around her slim neck.

She stooped into a deep bow in front of them, still smiling. "Ohayo, Sakura-chan, Uchiha-san."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow as she stood back up, hands shoved into his pockets. "So, we'll be working with _yukatas_ today?"

"Yep!" Yumi chirped, walking up in a satin robin's egg blue yukata. "Summer festivals are starting and Hyuga-sama thought it would be a good idea!" She giggled softly at Sasuke. "We're still getting set up. Maybe you'd like some tea to pass the time?"

"Yes!" Hinata clapped her hands once, smiling brightly. "Of course, Yumi-chan, get the tea ready in my office. We'll even sit in the traditional way, at the kotatsu table." She bowed deeply again. "It would be an honor to have you join me for tea in an hour."

Sakura smiled back, bowing as Hinata came up. "Of course, Hinata-chan." She smiled up at Sasuke who was giving Hinata a curious look. "What do you think, Sasuke-kun?"

He didn't even glance at her. Just raised an expectant eyebrow at Hinata, who laughed softly and turned on the heel of her traditional sandals. Sakura pouted softly. Sasuke hadn't even noticed the honorific she had added. Biting her lip, she followed behind them; only to hear the sentence Sasuke had prompted Hinata into conversation with.

"You're different from other photographers." It was a statement. Sakura was hard pressed trying to figure out if it was a compliment or just something he was saying.

Before Hinata could say anything, Sakura walked up beside her, smiling brightly. "Yeah, Hinata-chan! You're different than the others, in a good way. I mean, you make modeling actually fun!"

Hinata laughed softly and Sakura joined in, trying to show Sasuke that she was as cool and laid back as Hinata was. "Yes, I am different all the others. Why, I don't know. Maybe it's because I understand what's goes on behind the scenes." She shrugged softly. "Maybe it's because I am an understanding person."

They stopped in the lobby and Hinata gave a shallow bow to the receptionist, who was also in a yukata. The pastel green offset her brown hair and bright brown eyes perfectly as she bowed back to Hinata, tapping away at her keyboard. Sakura glanced towards Sasuke, and fought to keep the blush off her face. He was smirking! And then her blush turned into a flush of embarrassment. He was smirking . . . at Hinata.

"Is there something funny I missed, Sasuke-kun?" Sakura asked, forcing the jealously out of her voice.

The smirk dropped as he glanced at her, "No." And then he was back to looking towards Hinata, who was flouncing towards the elevator. Inside, Sakura felt like the third wheel as Hinata and Sasuke murmured in soft tones. Why, she didn't know, but she had a distinct feeling it was because they didn't want her to hear.

Pursing her glossed lips, she shot a look at Hinata, crossing her arms. "How big _is_ this building, Hinata-chan?"

Hinata blinked, turning to face her. "About sixty floors." She frowned, turning back towards the doors as they opened. "It is overkill, isn't it?" And then a smile blossomed her shiny lips as she chuckled. "I guess I overindulged myself, didn't I? Ah well, I like it."

Sakura glanced at Sasuke and saw the smirk again. So he was smirking at Hinata! He was probably thinking she was cute. Sakura bit her lip, her stomach growing hot with bitterness. How many times had she been in this position? Wedged between Hinata's admirers and her friend.

"So, what are we doing today?" she blurted, her voice a little too cheerful. Sasuke glanced at her with a raised eyebrow as Hinata gave Sakura a familiar look. The kind of look that before meant that Hinata was always ready to talk if she needed to. Sakura ignored the silent invite, forcing a friendly smile. "Well, yesterday, we came in to puppies, and now it's yukatas. I was just curious. Unless it's a surprise."

Hinata nodded softly, sitting down on a purple silk zabuton surrounding the kotatsu table. "Yes, it does seem eccentric, doesn't it? But that's what I was going for. I've never been normal." She frowned softly as Yumi appeared with a tray of tea. "At least, I don't think I am."

"What don't you think you are, Hyuga-sama?" Yumi asked, pouring Sasuke's cup first.

"Normal," Sasuke said for her, earning a smile from Hinata.

Sakura felt tense as Yumi laughed brightly. "You're not weird, Hinata-chan. But you're not normal either-"

"You're perfect!" Yumi laughed again, popping a piece of yokan in her mouth. Sakura forced herself to laugh with Hinata and Yumi, casting another glance at Sasuke. Her heart skipped a beat and for a second, she thought he was smirking at her. And then the moment was gone as he turned his smirk towards Hinata, like twice before, with a little twinkle of amusement in his normally empty coal-black eyes.

Sakura felt jealously coil around her loins as she used her chopsticks to shove a piece of yokan in her mouth. She really didn't want to deal with this again, like she had so many times fours years before all this. Hinata was just being Hinata- sweet, naïve, confident, smiling Hinata. Sakura grinded her molars and stared into the depths of her green tea.

Hinata was just being her usual, friendly self. She wasn't _purposely_ attracting Sasuke's attention. She was just being herself. Like she usual was. Because that what Hinata was. Hinata was perfect.

So why did she have to urge to do something really mean to Hinata? Or at least say something to get the attention back to her? Sakura shoved the thought away, deciding it was time to join in the conversation. She didn't like where her thoughts were heading.

--X--

"Very nice!" Hinata laughed warmly as Sasuke stepped out in his navy blue yukata. A summer jacket of royal blue was thrown over and the stylist and managed to straighten his hair so that it fell down his back. Sakura sucked in a surprised breath as he nodded at Hinata, who was smiling back.

"You look great!" Yumi chirped from beside Hinata, clapping excitedly. Hinata placed a hand on her shoulder and gave her a motherly look. Yumi laughed brightly before flouncing off to go check with the props. "I can't wait to see how this turns out."

Sakura looked to her cerise yukata, with its bright red obi and red hair ornaments. She and Sasuke were practically opposites in color. Her green eyes landed on Hinata who was instructing her crew with the air of someone having entirely too much fun with her job. Even when everyone else was stumbling around in their traditional clothing, she was gracefully gliding around, even helping to set things up.

She turned her eyes towards the set, which consisted of fake cherry blossom trees in full bloom. They were lined up in two rows and she figured they were supposed to represent a park. Hinata came up beside her and stared at the trees, her eyes glazed over in thought.

Sakura watched her for a moment, feeling close and yet so far away from her once best friend. Could they even get back to that point after being apart for so many years? She bit her lip, and Hinata sighed, turning on her heel.

She clapped her hands and all the activity stopped, everyone looking to the woman. Hinata cleared her throat, and said in a soft voice. "We're going on location."

Sakura watched as the room buzzed back into location and noted no one seemed to think badly about this. In fact they were relieved. Hinata smiled at Sakura and Sasuke, tucking her hands into her sleeves. "What do you think? Cherry blossoms are always prettier in person." She smiled at Sakura who grinned back. "Don't you agree?"

"Yes!" Yumi popped up beside Hinata, giggling happily. "I can't believe we're going to the park! I love going there!"

Hinata nodded, sweeping past them. "Get several trailers ready, Yumi-chan. And bright the tea set. We can enjoy some tea while we're there."

* * *

Oooh, Sakura's jealous! At least she trying to hold it back.

Does Hinata seemed a little OOC to you? I can't get her attitude right, for some reason. *Groan* This is so hard!

But! Things will get more interesting! I promise!

I'm outtie~ CocoaAngel95 :]


	6. Shiny Aston Martins Make For Great Rides

Here's chapter 6!

Surprisingly, this didn't take me very long. And I'm quite pleased with this one^^

Enjoy :]

* * *

Hinata tucked a stray hair from her ponytail behind her ear, frowning lightly as she leaned over the shoulder of her photo editor, Toshi. "I don't like this one." She pointed at one where Sasuke and Sakura standing at the foot of a cherry blossom tree, but the branches obscured their faces. When she had taken the picture, it had seemed almost alluring, but now it just looked silly.

She crossed her arms over the chest of her short-sleeve tea-green V-neck tee, studying the photos with a professional eye. With a tired sigh, she patted the back of Toshi's chair. "Delete the whole thing. I'm not pleased with them, at all."

Toshi bit his lip, looking to her. "Are you sure? Some of them are actually pretty good though . . ."

She smiled and patted his shoulder fondly. "Thank you Toshi, but yes, I'm sure." She glanced at the one of Sakura laughing brightly, tucking a stray hair behind her ear. "You can keep one if you like."

He blushed deeply, looking to his computer. "A-are you sure? I mean . . ."

"It's a gift." She turned on heel of her pastel green platform flip-flops. "You deserve it."

"T-thank you, Hyuga-sama." He smiled as she nodded and swept out of the room. With another soft sigh, she closed the door and ran a hand through her bangs. Closing her eyes, she leaned against the wall. Today just wasn't turning out as well as she liked. After today's photo shoot at a local café she had managed to get to herself, she felt like everything before wasn't cutting it. Like the photos with the puppies were cute and sweet, but they weren't all that great. And the yukatas were nice, but they weren't enough for her, though the cherry blossoms had been a nice touch.

Frustration knotted the muscles in her neck and shoulder and she reached up to rub her neck, frowning. She had wanted to do something really unexpected, something really out there and interesting. She bit her lip and looked to the ceiling. Never before had she been stuck like this. She was tired of doing boring scenes of designer outfits and having people pay her to pay for models to make pretty scenes for their own use. It was getting her nowhere and certainly wasn't enough for her.

"How greedy am I?" she mumbled softly to herself, dropping her arms and heading towards the elevator. Never before had she felt so . . . _low_. Well, scratch that. Hiashi wasn't exactly the nicest person there was. But still, even she knew he cared. He was her father, after all.

Her opulence eyes scanned the buttons, and she thought of times she had been in the academy. Konoha Academy was widely known for its arts program. She had joined the photography club as a means of doing something after school instead of heading straight home and just studying. It was something to do, and ultimately, she found she had an eye for pretty things. Pretty she maybe, but she knew she wouldn't never go as far as Sakura-chan. Innocence had never really lasted very long in the glamour world. Mainly because no one could contain it long enough to last.

The doors slid open and she stepped into the lobby, finding Keri, the receptionist, packing up for the night. Hinata mumbled her goodbyes as Keri handed over her multicolored canvas bag. Outside, she sighed, knowing she was going to have to wave down a cab, or walk home. Why she didn't have a car, was beyond her, but she whenever she remembered she was supposed to go looking for one, she always had to do something even more important.

Her eyes landed on a shiny black Ashton Martin V8 Vantage as she crossed the street and a sigh left her glossed lips. She couldn't remember the last time she had driven a car. She remembered to get her driver's license renewed, but she had never actually used it. Not since she had became a model and learned the joys of losing weight from walking to the restaurant. Besides, she had never been at one location long enough to actually _need_ a car.

"Hyuga-san."

She jumped with a squeak, whipping around to face Sasuke stepping out a bookstore. A paper bag was thrown of his shoulder and a pair of aviator sunglasses with black lens covered his eyes, but she knew that spiky hairstyle anywhere. Besides, he was dressed like he normally was, a white graphic tee and designer jeans.

Gripping the handle of her bag with both hands, she flashed him a friendly smile, a flush of embarrassment tingeing her cheeks pink. "Hello, Uchiha-san."

"What are you doing?"

She cocked her head towards the bus stop that was about fifteen meters away from her. "I was just heading home, actually."

He frowned slightly, glancing towards the empty bus stop. "But that bus left five minutes ago."

She bit her lip, glancing towards the bus stop again. "Well, isn't that nice?" She heaved a sigh before straightening her posture. "I guess I'm walking home then. Which will be good for me, I'm sure."

He watched as she turned on the heel of flip-flops, his face devoid of any emotion. On the inside, he was wrestling with the fact that he couldn't just leave her to walk by herself, even though she was doing just thought. A frown crossed his face as he thought about it.

Hinata wasn't a normal girl, but she was certainly softer than he expected. And he had the weird urge that she was going to end up getting herself hurt or something like that. Someone was going to try and jack her and no one was going to be there to help her out.

"Hey," he called out, yanking open the driver's side door. She turned around and gave him a curious look, her opulence eyes turning the shades of sunset, tinged with lavender. He jerked his head towards the passenger side. "Get in."

She blushed, which was actually a first, because she hadn't blushed before when she was bossing everyone else around. "Are you sure about that? I mean, my apartment isn't that far away . . ."

His brow creased with annoyance. "Just get in, Hyuga. I'm not going to bit you."

She laughed softly, but didn't budge. "It's not necessary, Uchiha-san. I can walk home by myself. I'm a big girl."

He arched an eyebrow at her as she took a step back. "You know, it's considered rude when actually deny me a second time."

She blushed darkly, looking to her feet. After a second, she heaved a sigh and walked towards the car. "I don't live far away from her. Just six blocks."

"That's nice." He slid into the front seat and put the car into reverse. "May I ask you a question?" Before she could actually say something, he had already beaten her.

"Why don't you have a car?"

She paused for a second, before letting a laugh slip past her lips. "My sister asks the same thing. But whenever I think about it, I'm always too busy to get around to it." She smiled, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "But walking is supposed to be healthier for you."

A motorcycle whipped past her window and she blinked. He could practically see the gears shifting in her mind as she followed the black Honda bike with her eyes. Suddenly, her eyes lit up and she smiled brightly, pulling out her PalmTreo. She quickly began pushing buttons and he furrowed his brow. Never had he seen thumbs move so fast.

"What do you think about motorcycles, Uchiha-san?" she asked quietly, almost mysteriously as she continued texting or whatever she was doing.

He glanced at her with a raised eyebrow. "They're okay. I have one, actually."

"Good." She dropped the PalmTreo in her bag as they stopped in front of her apartment building. "Tomorrow, ride it to the studio. I'll explain everything there." She flashed him a warm smile. "And thank you for the ride. It was very thoughtful of you, Uchiha-san."

He nodded and she climbed for the car, tucking her bag close to her side and punching in someone's number on her Nokia flip phone. Sasuke shook his head and pulled out of the parking lot. Hinata was different from any other woman he had dated, or known for that matter.

It was a nice change of pace, for once.

* * *

So there's a little somethin' about to begin XD

But seriously, I'm gonna start workin on the romance part

Because, let's face, it's gettin kinda boring now XD

So, be prepared!

I'm outtie ~CocoaAngel95 :]


	7. Yahamas and Hondas and the Color Red

Sakura gazed around the empty street. A warm glow kept the darkness at bay. The asphalt was rough and gritty under her lime-green Nine West espadrille lace-up wedge-heels. Everything looked so _real_ and _amazing_. She was so sure she was standing in the middle of an empty highway, getting ready to do a quick race on her motorcycle. And that was whole point of this set.

"It's _amazing_," she breathed, turning to see a boy blush happily as he applied the finishing touches. "Oh my Gawd, this is absolutely _incredible_."

"Yes, it is." Hinata smiled proudly as she placed a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Jiro-kun is excellent when under pressure." She turned her eyes on the set, placing her hands on her hips. "This is what _true_ artistic ability looks like. Jiro-kun is amazing with a paintbrush."

"It wasn't _all_ me," Jiro mumbled softly, flicking his walnut brown hair out of his face. Sakura was shocked to see he was only a teenager, with eyes so gray they looked almost black. "I had help from some friends of mine."

"But still," Hinata smiled warmly at him. "I can't thank you enough for doing this for me. In a matter of six hours, you managed to make something that would _normally_ take a week."

"Yeah," Sakura smiled at him. "You're going to going extremely far, Jiro-kun."

Hinata chuckled softly, patting his shoulder, as he blushed darker. "Yes, Jiro-kun. Even though I want to keep your talent for myself, you'll going to make it very far and you're going to be _very_ famous."

He looked to his white Reeboks, standing practically a head taller than his boss. "Well, if it wasn't for you, I wouldn't be standing here. I have you to thank for helping. This," he waved a hand in the direction of the set, "is the _least_ I can do, Hyuga-sama."

She nodded softly as he went back to fixing up the set, before smiling towards Sakura. "He's too modest for his own good. But he's a very hard worker. He deserves it."

"He sure does." Sakura smiled back.

Suddenly, the room was buzzing and Hinata smiled, turning on the heel of her navy flats designed to look like tennis shoes. "That will be Sasuke-san. I wonder what he'll think of this set."

She smiled at Sakura, who nodded back, jealousy souring her mouth. She really didn't hate Hinata. No, it wasn't that. It was the fact that Sasuke seemed to take so _well_ to her. They seemed so . . . _right_ for each other. She bit the inside of her cheek and pushed her jealousy away. She shouldn't be feeling this way. Hinata was her _friend_, and she shouldn't act like this over some _guy_. Friends _before_ boys.

They stepped outside in time to see Sasuke rolling up on a shimmery onyx and silver Yamaha motorcycle. Hinata's smile brightened as she clasped her hands together happily. "This is great, Sasuke-san! That will go perfectly!"

Sasuke slid his helmet off, flashing Hinata pleased smirk. "Thanks."

She motioned towards three women dressed eccentrically. "We'll have to hurry. I was hoping we could get this done in a few hours, but I can see that your bike deservers _much_ more than that."

Sakura was stunned. One, because Sasuke looked _hot_ riding that thing. And second was because Hinata seemed _delighted_ by the fact that Sasuke even _had_ a motorcycle. How did she know? She couldn't have guessed Sasuke had a motorcycle.! And such a cool one at that! Hinata didn't pry into people's personal life!

But maybe Sasuke had _told_ her . . .

Almost immediately, the bitterness of jealousy slid up her throat, but she shoved it back, just in time to smile at Sasuke. "I never knew you rode a bike, Sasuke-kun." She titled her head and played with her bubblegum pink hair as she smiled at him. "Think you can teach me how to ride one?"

He arched an eyebrow at her, but before he could say anything, Hinata touched his arm, smiling knowingly. "Ano, Sasuke-san, blue or black?"

His brow furrowed with confusion as she rocked on her heels. "Blue?"

She bit her lip, tilting her head. "I think you would look better in black." She turned on her heel just as the women bustled him away. Sakura frowned at three other women who lead her towards another dressing room. How convenient was that? But she shoved that thought aside, because she was a good friend. And good friends don't become jealous of their friends.

-

Fifteen minutes later and Hinata was setting up her camera, humming a lullaby under her breath. Sakura's makeup artist was putting the finishing touches on her makeup. She had somehow managed to straddle the motorcycle and keep it up while still looking sexy.

They had shoved her into a tight bright cherry red sexy one-piece and highlighted her eyes with a soft peach color for her lower lids and a bright apricot on her upper lids. Her lips were colored a crazy wine red that made them look fuller than they actually were. They had added extensions and given her a blowout. Big, full waves bounced around her heart-shaped face and shimmered cerise in the light of the studio.

Hinata sighed softly and Sakura turned her head by the smallest fraction to look at her, because Mica, her makeup artist, was busy adding some kind of taupe blush to her cheeks to enhance them. "What's the matter, Hinata-chan?"

Hinata pursed her lips, placing her hands on the hips of her low-slung khaki cropped cargos. "Oh. Well, I _think_ I'm missing something." She looked to Yumi who was busy trying to get everything else set up. "Am I missing anything, Yumi-chan?"

Yumi blinked, looking up. "Uh, the motorcycle helmets?"

Hinata slapped her palm with the bottom of her fist. "Thank you, Yumi-chan." She smiled at Sasuke, who was walking past her, dressed in a black leather jacket and matching leather pants with a tight white t-shirt, drinking a soda. "I'll be right back. Just give me a second."

He raised an eyebrow as she swept past him. "Okay." He turned to Sakura, who flashed him a flirty smile. "Where's she going?"

Sakura shrugged and Mica scowled, muttering something _Russian_ under her breath. "She said something about motorcycle helmets."

"Yes!" Yumi popped up beside Sasuke with her usual bright smile. He didn't even blink at her, but she seemed oblivious to this. "Hyuga-sama had found these _ah-mazing_ vintage helmets at a flea market. Originally, she had bought them on a whim, but now that she's doing this photo shoot, she's got a use for them." She shrugged happily. "They're really great. I hope she keeps them."

Sakura rested her forearms on the handlebars of her candy apple red Harley-Davidson. "Sounds like Hinata-chan."

Yumi laughed and flounced away, leaving Sakura and Sasuke to themselves. She smiled at him, "Do you and Hinata-chan know each other from the past, or something?"

"No." He crushed the soda can in his black fingerless gloved hand. "I've only ever heard about her."

"We used to be friends, you know," she said casually, trying to act nonchalant. "We used to model together, but she got out after five years." She had to force her smile, remembering the last time she had seen her friend. When Hinata had announced she was leaving the modeling business, the girls they were living with in their cramped three-bedroom apartment immediately started hugging and crying with her. Sakura had felt betrayed . . . and somewhat relieved ecause she wouldn't be held back.

"Oh?" Sasuke arched an eyebrow at her, sitting on his bike, with the kickstand down. "I never knew she model."

"Well," Sakura shrugged. "She didn't have the best time there, but we do have a lot of memories together." Right now, she wished she had a tube of lip-gloss or something, just so she could stop talking to Sasuke for a moment, let him that sink in. She toyed with the handlebar, squeezing the throttle, but nothing happened.

He slid on his aviators with the black lens and Sakura felt her heart speed up at how hot he was, leaning forward to look at him. "Hey, you don't want to look at me or something?" She smiled jokingly and he snorted, turning around.

"You wanna get a coffee with me?" she said, raising an eyebrow at him, twisting a strand of hair around her finger. "I don't bite."

He crossed his arms and opened his mouth to say something, but Hinata said it for him, smiling at them. "Unfortunately, Sakura-chan, we're going to be here all night."

Sakura blinked, looking to her. "What?"

Hinata bit her lip, looking embarrassed. "My gallery opening is in a few weeks, so I need as many shots as I can get. It's one thing when I'm just goofing around, but I had all the pictures from the sakura blossoms deleted." She sighed, handing a black helmet with silver accents to Sasuke and holding out a shimmery bright red helmet out to Sakura. "So, we need to get ready."

"Right!" Yumi saluted Hinata, who laughed softly. The assistant clapped her manicured hands together, before putting her hips on her tight, super-straight, super-skinny Mossimo medium wash jeans. "No time for dilly dally, people! Let's move, move, _move_!"

While everyone was scurrying around them, working themselves into a flurry of activity, Sakura pouted playfully at Sasuke. "Ah, what a shame. Maybe some other time?"

He grunted, using his foot to kick up the stand.

* * *

She tried, and unfortunately, she failed.

Oh, shame, shame, shame XD

But *ahem* this isn't a SakuSasu for a reason XD

So, I hope you enjoyed!

I'm outtie on my own motorcycle ~CocoaAngel95 :D


	8. Green Envy Can Make You See Angry Red

Hello there my lovelies! Please read this _**first**_!

This chapter is to be dedicated to Likes to Smile and otaku4.5 for their sympathy on _Sakura_!

Why? Because think about it like this.

Finally, after nine long years, you seeing your best friend again. You're both successful and you're finally able to talk to each other again. It's wonderful, right? And then, suddenly, the guy you like is in the picture, and you're trying your best to make him recognize you, but he seems more interested in your best friend than he is in you. In fact, after this latest photo shoot, you're not only certain, you know it's a damn _fact_ . . .

* * *

Hinata smiled at Sasuke, swiveling her head up and down as she checked him out. After a moment, she clapped her hands once, smiling. "The blue-gray does bring out your eyes." She ran a hand down the suit jacket before straightening the lapel and tucking the handkerchief tighter in his pocket. "This definitely came out better than I expected."

He raised an eyebrow at her as she stepped back. "What? You were expecting something _less_?"

She let out a little laugh, patting his shoulder as she passed. "Let's get started. I want to get a head start on the next one I plan on doing."

"What's this shoot going to be about?" He glanced down at the five-foot-four woman. He learned a while ago her outfits normally gave away what she had planned. Like when they did the motorcycles, she was wearing a black leather jacket with a high neck collar.

Today, she was dressed almost as if she was going out later and didn't want to go home and change. Her high-neck dove-colored sleeveless top and brown peasant skirt was something he definitely hadn't been expecting this morning. But she wore a pair of dove-colored Anne Klein Mary Jane flats. Somehow, everything pulled together to come across as something semi-dressy.

Her glossed lips curved up in a secretive smile, reminding him of the Mona Lisa painting, with her wide, hooded eyes and soft-spoken matter. "It's a surprise, Sasuke-san." With that, she turned on her heel and started towards the studio, like they did every morning.

He shook his head and started after her. Hinata was a totally different person. While she was soft-spoken and had a gentle-nature, people also looked up to her. Because she was kind and willing to listen, people seemed to be able to be comfortable around her. From other people, he had heard that the Hyuga were supposed to be prideful, harsh and cold. Hinata disproved everyone of those claims. In fact, if anything, she was the most pleasent person he had ever met in this industry.

Hinata was passionate about her work. In fact, if it weren't Toshi deciding to keep backups of her sakura blossom pictures, she probably wouldn't have enough pictures to make her agent happy. They had two more days left, but she was willing to cut days short if her staff got too tired. Reluctant she may be when doing so, but she did it anyways, because a tired crew didn't do as nearly a good job as a well-rested one.

His obsidian eyes traveled across the busy studio. Men and women dressed in shorts and t-shirts in the air-conditioned atmosphere of the room were picking up equipment and running to and fro. Wardrobe and makeup were bustling around, picking up cases of makeup and pushing racks of clothing. And Yumi and Hinata stood in the middle of it, Yumi doing her usual directing and Hinata toying with her beloved camera.

Sakura sauntered over, dressed in a form-fitting bright red leather Dolce & Gabbana cat suit. It was sleeveless and extremely tight. Her hair had been curled and pulled into an updo, with a red silk scarf used as a headband. There's also a red Hermes riding scarf tied around her neck. Her makeup was surprisingly simple. Her lips have colored deep ruby by a lip stain, and her taupe eye shadow is smudged, making her emerald eyes look even bigger and brighter like their gem counterparts.

She smiled at him, a few cerise pink corkscrew curls framing her face. "Good morning, Sasuke-kun."

He raised an eyebrow at her tight fitting outfit. Her red lace-up boots were four-inches high, and her gloves were leather, red and fingerless. To him, it looked hot . . . _uncomfortably hot. _But she didn't seem to mind. In fact, she was smiling up at him flirtatiously and twitching her hips as she walked around him, checking him out from all sides.

He rolled his eyes as she paused behind his back before moving on. "Wow, Sasuke-kun. They really did a good job on this suit." She smiled, tilting her head and hooding her eyes. "It really brings out your eyes."

"Thanks," he mumbled, shoving his hands into the pockets of the suit's pants. He didn't even bother with a compliment, because that would fuel her imagination. And to be fairly honest, that really wasn't what he was going for. In fact, to be downright fair, he'd have to go with getting away from her right now and talking to Hinata. Because Hinata was actually _worth it_.

"You never answered my question from yesterday. What do you say?" She cocked her head again, reaching out and placing a hand on his arm. He would have shivered, but that would be _melodramatic _and he was anything but. He opted for shrugging her off and promptly did so, letting her know it was _not_ all right to touch him. With a frown, he turned to her and said in a tone that suggested she not try anything else. "No."

Obvioulsy, she had not heard that subtle message because he could see the pout forming on her glossed lips, so before she could say or do anything else, he swept past. Hinata turned in time to see him and smiled, holding up her camera. Before he could say anything that resembled "Don't" she snapped off a picture and checked the screen on the back. A soft giggle left her glossed lips as she showed it to Yumi, who immediately giggled as well, glancing towards Sasuke.

"That's not funny," he said, a hint of annoyance and amusement in his voice as Yumi leaned over Hinata's shoulder.

Hinata smiled up at him, still giggling as the camera dangling from her neck on its black shoulder strap. "Gomen, Sasuke-san. I'm not going to show it to my agent, if that makes you feel better."

He rolled his eyes as she saved the picture anyways. She snapped another picture just as he finished rolling his eyes. With another giggle, she showed Yumi, who gaffed and slapped a hand over her mouth, her shoulders jumping up and down as she looked to Sasuke before returning back to bossing everyone else around for her boss. His lip twitched in an amused smirk, and he reached out, slipping the camera over Hinata's head. She gasped and blushed, looking up at him with empty hands.

Another giggle left her lips as she reached out for it, her voice soft and bubbly. "Give that back, Sasuke-san. I need that."

He held it just out of arm's reach as she went on tiptoe. "Don't take another picture of me."

"But that's my _job_ to do so," she giggled again, standing perfectly balanced on her toes. She reached out again and he held it just out of her reach. They kept this up for five minutes straight, before she stepped right up to him, practically flush against his chest. Her fingers latched onto his sleeve, pulling down his arm. Still giggling, she took the camera from his fingers and turned on her heel, shaking her head with a soft smile.

He turned in time to see Sakura's eyes fall to the floor, looking away from him. He wasn't trying to be mean to her. He just liked Hinata better than he liked Sakura.

Yumi nudged him with her elbow, her brown eyes sparkling with something juicy. "You are such a flirt!"

He shot her a look as she giggled, looking towards Hinata. "I would have never guessed you'd go after Hyuga-sama. I thought you and Sakura were much more likely to hook up. But hey, I'm not complaining. Hyuga-sama deserves a little break for her job, especially if you're providing." She giggled again, saying a hushed voice. "Don't worry. This will stay between you and me." She patted his shoulder before flouncing off, humming under her breath.

Hinata suddenly tucked her tripod over under her arm. "All right. Let's get going. I think we should arrive there with enough time."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow as she glided past him. "We're going somewhere?"

"Yes!" Yumi chirped, placing her hands on his back and pushing. "Hyuga-sama managed to find a beautiful German castle they were turning into a Haunted House amusement park. But she managed to get the contractor to let us use it for the photo shoot before they started adding stuff." She popped up beside him, now that he was walking. "I call it 'The Mistress and the Spy.' Pretty good, hmm?" She moved her hands through the air as if framing something.

He blinked. "'The Mistress and the Spy?'"

"Yes!" She smiled brightly, marching along beside him. "We're still decided between the cat suit or the gown for Sakura-chan. But the way Hyuga-sama was checking out the leather suit, we may have to shimmy Sakura-chan out of it." She giggled, nudging him with her elbow. "Hey, maybe you'll get lucky and catch a glimpse."

He shot her a look, but she seemed immune to his glare. "Don't be disgusting, Yumi."

"Yes, Yumi-chan," Hinata said, turning around and smiling at them, causing Yumi to gasp with surprise. "You're going to make a lot of women on my staff jealous if you keep talking like that."

"Oh please," he muttered, rolling his eyes as she giggled. "They can just get over themselves."

Hinata patted his shoulder, giggling as she swept past him towards a waiting van. "All right Sasuke-san. Whatever you say."

-

"This is _amazing_!" Sakura exclaimed, Yumi barking out directions beside her. She gazed around the room they were in. It was decorated western medieval style, with carved cherry wood chairs that had burgunday satin backs and seats. A gorgeous crystal chandelier hung in the middle of the room. There was a black marble fireplace that had an _actual_ roaring fire.

Sakura almost tripped over the hem of her tomato red floor-length Dolce & Gabbana gown trying to move towards the red striped wallpaper. Hinata was there by her side almost instantly, a supporting hand on her waist and a small smile on her face. "You should be more careful, Sakura-chan. I don't want you getting hurt before the shoot starts."

Sakura forced a smile back, stepping away from Hinata. "Ah, I'll be fine, Hinata-chan. I'm just a little clumsy today."

Hinata frowned with concern. "Are you all right? Do you need something eat? We have food . . . if you need it."

"Baby carrots would be nice," Sakura said and Hinata nodded, turning on her heel to find said baby carrots. Sakura sighed, turning back to the wallpaper. She ran her finger along the smooth surface before turning her attention to a glossy cherry wood end table. A beautiful oil lamp sat at her fingertips and she smiled, shaking her head. This place was like something from a fairy tail, it was so incredible.

A giggle drifted towards her and she saw Hinata and Sasuke, her stomach instantly dropping to her feet. Hinata was holding the plate of carrot sticks away from Sasuke he reached around her trying to grab one. She was giggling and mumbling softly under her breath, a happy flush covering her cheeks. And Sasuke was . . . Sasuke was _smirking_. And then one of the staff had the nerve to say, "Get a room," which only caused Hinata to giggle even more and hold the plate out farther.

Sakura bit the inside of her cheek, biting so hard that she drew blood and she could pretend the tears in her eyes were from the pain. Hinata was too busy giggling to even realize her best friend was having a hard time trying not to sneer at their cutesy PDA, which the crew was lapping up.

Jealousy reared its ugly head once more and she found herself letting it. It was obvious Sasuke _liked_ Hinata. And it was obvious that Hinata was taking to that affection like a kitten to a bowl of milk. And it was _plainly_ obvious Sakura was _quite_ jealous.

Finally, they stopped flirting, but only long enough for Sasuke to pull Hinata aside. She set the plate of carrots down, having completely forgotten what they were actually for. Sakura didn't want to listen, but her ears denied her that option and she heard what he had to say anyways. Her heart speed up and she turned away, biting her lip.

Of course he would ask Hinata out on a _date_. And of course she would say _yes _like it was an honor to go grab something to eat with Sasuke on a Saturday morning. Unfortunately, she couldn't help feeling like she had lost something . . . _again_.

* * *

Ooooh! Diss!

Ah man, I'm a brutal biz-nitch! XD

But, that's love! And whether you like it or not, somewhere, somehow, you're going to be hurting some poor sap XD

Suffice to say, I have friends in the real world who are . . . immune to the charm of the SasuHina XD

They would have my head right now for this chapter XD

I'm outtie ~CocoaAngel95

Oh, and, I'm thinkin' of changin my name! Cuz, I'm not saint, if you get my drift XD


	9. There Are a Lot of Things You Don't Know

The cat suit was back.

Sasuke watched as a woman from wardrobe laced up a brick red corset over the bright red leather of the cat suit, which they had squeezed Sakura's sculpted size-two body in. And from his spot not five feet away, with makeup patting away at his cheeks, he could see she was having a difficult time breathing. She was tried laughing it off, but by the beads of sweat dotting her (large) forehead, he could tell it was going to take a miracle to get her out of it.

It was always easier to get in than out as he had learned.

Turning away, he blinked as Hinata walked across the black asphalt of the skyscraper's rooftop, where they were taking the shoot at. Her chocolate brown Juicy Couture maxi dress and white knit bolero jacket blew in the breeze along with her auburn locs. Yumi nudged him in the side and he shot her a look, which she ignored. "Checking out Hyuga-sama eh? I bet you can't wait for the your little _date_." She wiggled her fine eyebrows up and down.

"Why do _you_ care what Hinata does?" he snapped, causing the woman who was doing his makeup to mutter something _Russian_ under her breath. He straightened his posture as Yumi laughed at him. "I'd be careful, Sasuke-kun. Sylvia can be _pretty_ tough."

He shot her another look as Yumi smiled too innocently for Hinata, who passed by. Hinata looked like she didn't suspect a thing and Sasuke mentally shook his head, since Sylvia was applying (and he would never get used to this no matter how many times they did it to him) _eyeliner_. Once Hinata was far enough away, Yumi's smile dimmed as she looked to silver Mary Jane-style flats. "I care because Hyuga-sama isn't as strong as you would like to believe. I _care_ because Hyuga-sama deserves a lot more than the world _gives_ her."

Sasuke glanced at Yumi from the corner of his eye, watching as she ran French manicured hand through her sleek asymmetric bob. "Oh?"

"Yeah." She gave him a serious look. "In fact, this whole crew _respects and cares_ for Hyuga-sama. They do what she asks because they know how much she has to put up with _every single day_. They know she doesn't need anymore shit on her agenda because it's already overwhelming." Her voice lowered as Hinata glanced at them. "Hyuga-sama is a lot more than a pretty face and gentle personality, Sasuke-kun. She's hurting from the inside out. The first man she loved should know something about that."

"The first?" Sasuke echoed as Sylvia stepped back to examine her work proudly. He arched a brow as Yumi nodded. "There was someone else?"

She hooked her manicured thumbs through the belt loops of her teal skinny jeans, watching the sky as the oranges, reds and pinks slowly faded away. "You've probably heard of him. He's another famous model. They were good friends for years before Hyuga-sama got up the courage to ask him out. But I could tell their relationship was doomed for the start." She let out a sigh. "Still, I supported her all the way, because she looked happier than she ever had. She really thought they had something. I saw for myself that whatever it was that had drawn him to her was fizzling out, and fizzling out _fast_."

Hinata came rushing towards them, a sort of comical panic gracing her normally cheerful looking face. Yumi shook her head, smiling brightly again. "I knew you were going to forget." She slid a hand into the cross-shoulder leather bag and it retracted with a memory card for the camera in her fist. "So I remembered _for_ you."

Hinata let out a sigh, wrapping Yumi in a grateful hug. "Thank you, Yumi-chan. You're a life saver!" She turned on the heel of her brown canvas espadrille lace-up Juicy Couture wedges and proceeded to take pictures of the sky, including a few of her crew while they set up equipment. Yumi shook her head again as Sasuke let a woman from wardrobe adjust the black suspenders to his gray slacks. "Back to that guy."

Yumi bit her lip. "Anyways, everything was cool for eighteen straight months," she smiled as Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "And then everything just kind of went . . ." She let out a whistle as she slanted her hand and let it slid down diagonally through the air, as if something were going down hill.

"Oh." Sasuke shoved his hands into his pants pocket, watching as the woman checked out a few different colored fedoras that sat on a table not three feet away.

"Yeah, _oh_." Yumi glanced at the sky, then her baby blue Tweety Bird watch. "Hyuga-sama didn't come to work for three whole months after that. Her agent was furious, her family was smug and I was over her house regularly, making sure she was all right. It wasn't easy, especially since he had said he didn't love her anymore right in front of her family." She pursed her lip, before sighing. "Correction, he said it in a secluded area far away from her family, just three minutes before everyone was supposed to say goodnight and leave."

"That's pretty brutal anyway."

"I'll say," a soft voice whispered.

Yumi whipped around to face Sakura, whose emerald eyes were glassy with unshed tears. "And I think I know who that was you were talking about."

Yumi's eyes widened for a second as she remembered something. Then narrowed angrily. "You probably do. They went to the same academy for years."

Sakura looked to her boots, her rosy hair in half up, half down bun, with a pair of red decorative chopsticks sticking out the back. "God, I feel awful now."

"You should." Yumi crossed her arms over her electric blue hoodie. "She did nothing but cry for you that first week. But you were too busy doing what models do best." Sasuke raised both eyebrows as Sakura cringed, the guilt written all over her face. Yumi turned away from Sakura. "You know, I didn't realize it until now, but you must be the Sakura she was whining about. And you know what, I don't I have a damn bit of remorse for you, _Haruno-san_."

Sakura swallowed hard as Sasuke stepped back, the tension thickening around him. But it dissipated the minute tears slid down Sakura's made up cheeks. "It was all over tabloids too, but I didn't believe it. I mean, I knew he never liked her like that, so I just thought it was a bunch of fibs. You know, like they always do." She sniffled as the woman from makeup rushed over, practically screaming curse words in _Russian_.

While the woman wiped Sakura's face clean of all her hard work, Sasuke disappeared, going to stand by Hinata. She stood near the edge of the rooftop, her hands planted on the low wall as she leaned over. Her hair blew about in the breeze and her eyes were closed, as if she were enjoying the sheer fact that she was about a hundred feet in the air and could possibly fall to her death if she leaned out further.

He knew what he was about to do could possibly kill her, so he stood close enough to be able to grab her. "Hinata." She jumped, just like he had predicted and he grabbed her arm out of reaction, pulling her close. "Jeez, do you _want_ to die?"

She blushed and let out a bright laugh, taking half a step back, not totally out of his arms. "Oh, don't worry about me. My father has a bigger building than this." She turned and pointed a manicured finger towards said building, which stood was about three times taller than all the rest. "That's probably because the top five floors are his office and his apartment."

"No way."

She laughed again, but her opulence eyes suggested that she couldn't find the humor in it. "Yes way. Hiashi isn't afraid to spend a little money." She smiled towards the building, but it wasn't one of happiness. Something else was swirling in her eyes and her smile came out more as grimace. "But it's a smart investment. He can get all his work done and not even leave his house." Pulling on the hem of the bolero jacket, she bit her glossed lip. "I just wonder where he put our family house at." After a brief pause, she chuckled, something sad floating in the normally bright sound. "Or should I say, the Hyuga household, since I'm no longer allowed there."

He raised an eyebrow as she waved a hand through the air, as if trying to rid herself of something foul. "Really?"

"Let's not talk about it, okay?" She smiled up at him before clapping her hands, her crew's attention immediately snapping towards her as she walked away. He thought of what Yumi said and shook his head, grabbing his suit jacket from the wardrobe woman and sliding it on. Hinata didn't even _know_ how lucky she was.

--X--

Hinata fiddled with the camera tripod before snapping her camera in place on top. Leaning over, she fiddled with the settings before sliding the tripod up to her preferred height. Sasuke fiddled with the toy Tommy gun props had given him, and Sakura walked around in her boots, trying to gain balance in the platforms of her shoes.

Hinata glanced towards that all too familiar building on the Tokyo skyline and bile burned the back of her throat. She had tried to cover it up when she was with Sasuke, smiling and all around being a good sport, because that's who she was. But whenever she glanced in that direction, her mind forgot all about her "loving" family. What kind of loving family disowned her for pursuing a career that fit her best?

The taste grew too strong and she straightened up, blinking back tears. Slapping a hand over her mouth, she swallowed around the burning, fighting back her emotions. Racing towards a darkened corner, she barely listened to Yumi's concerned words. She dropped to her knees, tears sliding down her flushed cheeks as she heaved her lunch and early dinner all over the asphalt.

Colorful chunks of raw meat, rice and whatever else she had eaten two hours before decorated the ground in front of her. But it was all blurry, whether it was because the food had been digesting in her stomach or the fact that she was crying, she didn't know. A hand she didn't know stroked her back. A voice she couldn't recognize asking what was wrong. And yet, it was all too familiar.

Sniffling, she shakily got to her feet. Her head felt light. The sky was spinning before her eyes. Her body pulsed without her consent. The breeze felt cool against her burning skin, whether it was from her burning up with shame or some illness, she didn't know that either. She felt empty, tired and drained of all her energy. Her stomach lurched and she bent double, heaving again. This time, it was green liquid and she briefly wondered if maybe she _really was_ sick or if it was her emotions controlling her bodily functions.

The world tilted and the crowd let out in a cry. Her knees gave out from beneath her and she crumpled, collapsing straight into someone's arms. The world tilted again and closed her eyes, curling in on herself. Tears slid down her cheeks as she buried her face in the warm cloth surrounding her. She had never felt so . . . so . . . _broken_.

Her name flew through the air, and she briefly realized it was Yumi, who was looking over Sasuke's shoulder at her but she could have cared less. The only thing she wanted right now was to get away. Get away and just forget. The smooth motion of being carried away filled her senses. Her stomach lurched, but nothing came up.

She knew she shouldn't have choose this building. It was just too damn close to home.

* * *

Whoa. This turned out pretty deep.

I'm not a deep person, in fact, most would consider me pretty shallow XD

But this, this I feel should get an award XD (See, I told you!)

Anyways, I hope you enjoyed!

I'm outtie ~CocoaAngel95 P.S I'm thinking of changing my name!


	10. And You Thought Aston Martins Were Cool

I am such an idiot! But here it is!

Anyways, last chapter, I was supposed to dedicate it to math music reading. But like I said, I'm such an idiot!

So, this is to you, math music reading. Not only are you nice about Sakura and the fact that she has feelings, but your compliements always put me in a good mood^^

Thanks babe, you rock!

* * *

Sasuke revved the engine of his motorcycle and smirked to himself as the door to Hinata's apartment was yanked open. Her milky lilac eyes were wide with surprise as she leaned over the black railing, seemingly half-dressed in a slinky white camisole and a pair of dark rinse denim capris. A bright laugh bubbled from her glossed lips as he balanced the bike with his foot, barely registering that the other people who lived in the apartment had come out to inspect.

Hinata held up two fingers before disappearing inside, only to emerge, a black knit bolero jacket thrown over her camisole and a pair of metallic silver flats on her petite feet. She had pulled her glossy auburn hair back into a loose bun, with a silver rhinestone clip to keep her long bangs out of her eyes.

"This is great!" She smiled brightly as she took the extra helmet from him. "I get to ride on Sasuke-san's motorcycle." She wrapped her arms around his slim waist and wriggled in her seat, eyes focused above the shoulder of his black leather jacket, loving the feel of the bike rumbling beneath them. "So where are we going?"

"Just a café." He speed off and another excited laugh bubbled from her lips. There was just something . . . so thrilling about being on a motorcycle. It was dangerous and fast, but it gave the person a rush of adrenaline, the thrill of something daring. Hinata decided she liked motorcycles more than she liked cars or public transportation.

"I see you still haven't gotten a car," he said at they pulled up to a light and Hinata relaxed her grip, her breathing kind of shaky. "Is there an actual reason as to why that is?"

She blushed, remembering how they had stopped the shoots for two days because of her . . . outburst. "Ah, well, I like walking more than driving. And I haven't actually . . . _needed_ a car before. Everything's just in reach of where I live, or everything that I need anyways."

He nodded and they were off again. She pressed herself tighter against him, smiling as the wind whipped at her flimsy jacket and thin camisole. No wonder Sasuke liked motorcycles. They were way more fun that an open-top Porsche. And she had ridden in plenty of those.

Oh god, she shouldn't have thought that.

Clamping her eyes shut, she shook the thought off. _He_ was long gone. His career was taking off and likewise for her. It was better that they were apart anyways. It just would have just gotten more painful for him to stay by her side if they had stayed together any longer. There were better things than reminiscing about the past.

A feeling she was all too familiar with welled up inside of her chest but she fought it back down. She was on a date with _Uchiha Sasuke_ for god's sake! Couldn't she at least enjoy the simple fact that _any_ man would like her for more than the fact that she was simply from a rich family and had made her own living after they had disowned her?

"Is something wrong?" Sasuke's voice barely carried over the roar of the engine, snapping her out of her train of thought. She nodded against his back, smiling. "I'm just enjoying the ride. It really takes a lot of strength to stay on this thing."

She could hear the smirk in his voice and she leaned over, trying to get look at his face. "Try keeping it _balanced_. It's like learning to ride a bike all over again."

She glanced down at the vehicle, noting the way it seemed to shimmer in the late morning sun. "But it _is_ pretty."

"That's no reason to get it though. Pretty or not, they're hard to ride." He paused for a second and she could tell he was rolling his eyes. "I sound like your mother or something."

She laughed to cover the bitter taste in her mouth. "Okaa-san hasn't been around for years. She died when I was young."

"Oh." He paused again, his head twisting in both directions as they stopped at a bright red stop sign. She realized they were going through a little suburban neighborhood. "That sucks."

She watched as the family homes blurred by her eyes, reminding her of what she used to have when Okaa-san was alive. "Yes, it does. My little sister doesn't remember anything about her, save for what my father tells her. Okaa-san died giving birth to Hanabi-chan."

"My mother died of cancer."

She nodded, glancing up at the turquoise sky. "I heard. I'm sorry."

"Why? It's not like you gave it to her," he muttered through the helmet and she could feel his shoulders tense. Tightening her grip, she leaned in a little closer, flush against his back. "Even so. I know how it feels to loose someone you love like that." She smiled to herself as they hit another corner, the toes of their shoes barely grazing the asphalt of the road. The thrill was making her tremble with pleasure, or maybe that was the vibration of the engine throughout the bike. "It –to take a quote from you- sucks."

A humored chuckle left his lips as they left the neighborhood and crossed an intersection. "It does. But whatever. She's in a better place, I suppose. My home wasn't exactly all talks around the kitchen table and family game nights."

She giggled as they passed car after expensive looking car. "Neither was my life either. But since my mother died, Hanabi kind of looked to me for that kind of influence. I did a lot more than my father cared to." She bit the inside of her cheek. "He really missed out on a lot during those years. But he had the nerve to say I was his heir to the company as was I his eldest daughter, especially since Hanabi sure didn't want it."

They stopped at another light and Sasuke cocked his head. "Sounds like a real jerk-off if you ask me. But then again, my pops was the same. Couldn't have cared less for what I did, except for when it came to his precious company."

"Do you stay in touch with your father, Sasuke-san?"

He was silent for a moment as they watched the light. Then he shook his head, revving the engine. "He died not too long after my mother did."

"Oh. I'm-,"

"Don't be," he cut in, turning another corner sharply. "I never did like the old man. I'm glad I don't have him breathing down my damn neck every goddamn second."

"Well, do you have any family left? Or were you an only child?"

He cocked his head again as they pulled up in front of a small brick building. "What's with all these questions anyway?" He pulled his helmet off and faced her, shoving his keys into his pocket with a playful smirk. "Let's just enjoy the afternoon. It's nice out for once."

She blushed softly and slid off the back of bike. "You're right. It's a nice afternoon, nice and cool."

"Which means we shall be eating on the roof." He shoved his hands into the pockets of his light wash loose jeans and leaned back, squinting his jet-black eyes at the brick building in front of them. "I'm sure Chouji doesn't have too many people up there at this time of day."

"Chouji?" she echoed questioningly

He smirked and nodded, walking up to the frosted glass door. "Yep. _Akimichi_ Chouji. The greatest chief I've ever met." He yanked open the door and gestured for her to go in. "He's kind of like you."

She paused, a blush decorating her pale cheeks, watching as he swept past her towards the counter. "Wh-what do you mean by that?"

He leaned into her, an amused glint in his eyes. "He's too sweet for his own good."

--X--

Sakura sucked in her bottom lip, leaning over her leg and pushing the brush against her toenail. Dragging it upwards, a perfect line of rosy red colored a third of her nail and she was dipped the brush back into its little bottle, her green eyes focused on her trembling hand. Cradling the phone against her shoulder, she listened as Hinata gushed happily about her day.

Jealousy reared its ugly green head and Sakura closed her eyes, breathing out slowly. Now was not the time. Hinata totally deserved this. She shifted in her hanging egg chair, reaching back to fluff her zebra stripped pillow. But no matter what she did, she couldn't squelch that feeling in her stomach. It rose up the back of her throat, threatening her to spit something she didn't want to hack up.

Taking another yogic breath, she smiled and said "uh-huh" like the good friend she so desperately wanted to be for someone she hadn't seen smiled so brightly since nine years ago, when they were first booked as their infamous duo. And besides, Hinata didn't know. And if Sakura had told her earlier, maybe things would have turned out different.

Her emerald eyes rose to look at her Western candy apple red 90's diner clock that sat on the wall above her mantel. She had bought Hinata a lavender one just like it after she had gotten back from a shoot in the states. She wondered if Hinata still had that clock hanging over her bed, like the last she had visited her friend's apartment. God, she could barely remember that ratty thing. Did Hinata even live in the same apartment? It had been a few years . . .

"Sakura-chan?" Hinata's soft voice floated into her thoughts and Sakura blinked, the memories slipping back into their box in a corner of her mind. "Are you all right? Is there something else you wish to talk about?"

Sakura could hear the reluctance in this sentence. Hinata wanted to be able to laugh and giggle like they had years before. She wanted to be able to run over to her best friend's house and be greeted by Sakura's infamous hundred-bottle collection of nailpolish and the smell of a medium vegetarian pizza set out on the coffee table. But they were older, and wiser, and above giggling and laughing. There would never be anymore of that. Sakura wouldn't curl Hinata's eyelashes anymore. Hinata wouldn't laugh at Sakura's corny knock-knock jokes.

And even though that was years ago, Hinata was still willing to take a step back and care. She was still able to nod and hug Sakura even though it had been years since they had last seen each other. Hinata was the first girl Sakura ever truly envied, right down to the bone. Everything about Hinata was humble, graceful, and elegant. She was simplicity at its best; everything about her was just true and real.

And here she was, turning green in the face because Hinata wanted to gush about the best first date she had had in years.

Sakura's eyes filled with tears of guilt as she dipped the brush back into the bottle, twisting the cap closed. "Nah, keep going."

The smile was so evident in Hinata's voice that Sakura had a hard time forgetting those days when they would pass each other notes during their cram lessons together at the Haruno residence, when their teacher wasn't paying attention. Hinata would always giggle softly, scribbling in her neat kanji across the little piece of lined paper.

God, she missed those days.

Sakura bent her head and blew on her toe, until the line was dry. Tucking her leg underneath her, she pulled her pillow into her lap, feeling the silk of her robe brush against her bare assets, the B-cup boobs she had bared more than once, the thighs she had pulled countless pairs of jeans over, the baby smooth skin she doused in moisturizers to keep its smoothness.

"Okay, Hinata-chan, start from the beginning. I want to hear it all again. I wasn't paying attention the last time."

For once, Sakura was able to keep jealousy at bay. But she knew, that next time, she wouldn't be able to guilt-trip herself out of it so easily.

* * *

Uh-oh, trouble's a brewin!

I know, I know, it's been a while! But I'm back!

I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Because I sure did^^

I'm outtie ~CocoaAngel95


	11. Instead of Capris, She Would Wear Suits

"Sasuke-kun! Sasuke-kun! Over here!"

"Uchiha Sasuke!"

"Sasuke-kun, is it true? Are you really dating Hyuga Hinata?"

Sasuke blinked behind the dark lenses of his platinum aviators at that one. He turned towards the cameraman who had said that, who was delighted beyond belief that _the_ Uchiha Sasuke was paying any attention at all.

"What did you say?" Sasuke kept his face straight as he pulled out a pack of cigarettes from his back pocket and a royal blue lighter from the pocket of his dark denim blazer.

"Is it true that you're dating Hyuga Hinata?" The cameraman focused his camera on Sasuke's straight face, hoping that the hint of his eyes behind the lenses would show some kind of emotion. "There's a rumor going around that, you know, you're dating the ex-heiress turned photographer. Is it true?"

Sasuke's obsidian eyes flashed with annoyance as the corners of his mouth turned down in a frown. "_Ex-heiress_?"

"Well yeah," the cameraman pressed, stepping forward as slowly as he could as to keep the camera steady. "You haven't heard that she was practically disowned from her family?"

"And why should I be prying in _her_ personal business?" Sasuke fixed him with a look and the cameraman gulped behind his heavy equipment. "There's a reason why it's called _my shit_. Because it's _my_ shit."

"S-so you're not dating Hyuga Hinata?" the cameraman stammered softly, hoping he didn't do anything to anger the male model. There had been quite a few people who had gotten on the man's nerves, and let's just say they weren't around anymore.

"Who said I wasn't?" Sasuke smirked suddenly, her name seemingly the key to lighten up his serious mood, lighting his cigarette and turning his head away, blowing a ring of smoke into the cool night air.

"Oh-kay. What would you do if you two _were_ dating?" The cameraman hoped to God he didn't sound like he was prying. He wanted to be able to get the latest scoop on the infamous Uchiha dating good girl Hyuga.

"Well . . ." Sasuke took a deep drag, stuffing his hand into the pocket of his dark distressed denim jeans. He turned silent as he turned away from the cameraman and tilted his head, staring at something. The cameraman, realizing something was about to happen, swung the camera around to see Hyuga Hinata herself stepping out of the building they were at. And he too stopped and stared.

Hinata stepped shyly passed the doorman, her cheeks a dusty pink, which almost matched her shimmery pink lip-gloss. Her auburn hair was in its natural waves, though a little more glossy and bouncy. She had dressed up in a metallic silver strapless dress that hugged her waist and swam around her legs, just stopping centimeters above her knees. A black knit cap-sleeve cropped cardigan cover her shoulders and a pair of black strappy Fendi sandals covered her pedicured feet.

She smiled softly, all ten of her manicured fingers clutching at her silver Dior clutch. Clearing her throat, she walked over to Sasuke. "I hope I didn't keep you waiting long."

"No," he drawled, letting his eyes roam over her body. "Jeez, Hinata, where _are_ we going?"

She giggled, oblivious to the fact that a cameraman was filming them. "The gallery opening, silly. I really hope you haven't forgotten."

He placed an arm around her shoulders, shaking his head playfully. "And just when I was getting my hopes up too."

She laughed brightly, before turning towards the camera for the first time. "Isn't he just the silliest?"

Sasuke smirked and led her away from the camera, tossing him a wave over his shoulder. "Well, you have your answer. Are you satisfied?"

Hinata glanced over her shoulder at the man and smiled at the cameraman, waving softly, the silver of her bracelet glinting in the camera light. "Bye, Mr. Cameraman." She turned towards Sasuke, looking confused. "He asked you a question? What's was the answer?"

"Don't worry yourself about it." Sasuke's hand rested on the small of her back as the cameraman followed them to his Aston Martin. "What you can worry about is what kind of steak you like."

"Steak?" she echoed before blushing happily. "Sasuke-kun, honestly?"

"Yep." He opened the door and smirked at the cameraman. "See that? _That's_ how you treat a woman."

Hinata laughed, a light blush dusting her cheeks as she slid into the tan leather seat. "Why, thank you Sasuke-kun. I'm flattered."

Sasuke walked around to the other side, the cameraman following him, smirking. "Does steak make you _that_ happy?"

"Truthfully," she blushed, tugging on her seat belt. "I haven't had steak in four years."

"Are you a vegetarian, Hinata-kun?" the cameraman blurted, focusing the camera on her embarrassed face as Sasuke raised an eyebrow as she laughed. "Oh, hardly. I just haven't had the time." She smiled softly as Sasuke shook his head, putting the car in drive. "I do have teriyaki with my friends every once in a while, which is always nice. But I do like my vegetables." She giggled as Sasuke waved goodbye to the cameraman, pulling gracefully out of his parallel parking spot.

--X--

"_Hinata-nee-chan_?!"

Hinata whipped around, her eyes wide as she turned to see her younger sister jumping up from her table. She was dressed in a sleeveless red dress with a deep butterfly neck that showed a generous amount of cleavage. Hinata blushed, realizing if she had showed that much cleavage, her breasts would have popped out already.

Hanabi's auburn blowout swished as she raced across the carpeted floor of the restaurant, her eyes glinting orange from the candlelight. "What are you doing here? You look so pretty! It's been so long! I've missed you!"

Hinata smiled as Hanabi wrapped her arms around her older sister's waist, standing barely at five-foot seven in her high heels. At least she wasn't into platforms and four-inch heels to make everyone think she was tall as her older sister. Hinata closed her eyes, barely remembering the last time she had come in contact with any of her family.

After a moment, she turned to Sasuke, who was watching them with a spark of interest in his obsidian eyes. "Sasuke-kun, this is my sister, Hanabi. Hanabi, this is my date, Uchiha Sasuke."

"So it is true?" Hanabi crossed her tanned arms, drumming her manicured oval nails along her toned bicep, her mouth twisting in a suspicious twist. "How come you didn't call me?"

"Well," Hinata blushed darkly, shifting in her surprisingly comfortable shoes. "We've only been dating a week, and I didn't know what to think of it so, I just waited it out."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow as Hinata blushed beside him. Hanabi studied him with some interest. "Huh."

Sasuke responded with an uninterested, "Che."

She smirked and shook out her hair, turning to look at Hinata again. "All right. Call me some time. We'll have to make plans to meet up." She glanced over her shoulder at the table, with its silk tablecloth and waiting people in suits. "I have to go. Maybe I'll see you later, okay?" She gave Hinata energetic thumbs-up, grinning. "Wish me luck!"

Hinata nodded. "You'll do just fine, Hanabi-chan. I hope everything goes as planned."

"Don't jinx it!" Hanabi laughed brightly, crossing her fingers hopefully. "If I get this contract, Dad will have to let me go to Europe for a two-week vacation. I took _weekends_ to make sure this moment arrived!" She glanced over her shoulder again before giving Hinata tight, quick hug, her head resting on her sister's cleavage. "Gawd, I missed you, nee-chan, but now I feel so much better. I'll see you around."

"See you," Hinata smiled as Hanabi spun on the heel of silver Chloe ankle strap sandals. She and Sasuke stood silent for a moment, watching as she worked her charm on the men, before Hinata sighed and turned away, a sad look in her eyes. "That would have been me, you know."

"Really?" Sasuke glanced towards the table, placing a hand on the small of her back and leading her towards their table. "Funny. You don't look like the type of person who would enjoy something like that."

"That's what I told my father," she shook her head, smiling softly. "Look where I am now."

Sasuke fingered the edge of his folded aviators, watching as she stared at the candlelight. "I can imagine he wasn't too happy about that."

"No. But at least I'm having steak with Uchiha Sasuke."

He smirked, leaning back. "Well, I'm flattered, Hinata."

--X--

Sakura giggled, stepping through the front door of Hinata's apartment. It was eleven at night, just twenty minutes after the gallery opening. She was still dressed in her hot pink satin strapless minidress. A wide metallic gold belt cinched her already tiny waist, and below that was puffed out with tulle ruffles. The dress barely grazed her thighs, but it was cute, and it matched with her gold pointed-toe pumps.

Tucked under her arm was a value pack of doughnuts from the local grocery store, filled to the brim with her own personal picks. She couldn't remember the last time she had eaten something as sweet as a doughnut. She loved the way it tasted on her tongue, especially since her agent always seemed to be able to tell when she was about to even _consider_ indulging herself.

"Oh, _Hinata-chaaan_," she called softly, her emerald eyes adjusting to the dimness of the apartment. "Where _are_ you?"

"Hello?"

Sakura whipped around to see her best friend exiting from the kitchen. She had changed out of her magnificent little dress into a men's button down and a pair of azure boy shorts. Her hair had been braided and twirled into a bun, where a pair of cheep wooden chopsticks stuck out the back. Her eyes were wide with surprise as she stepped out of her kitchen.

"Hello!" Sakura bustled over to her, almost throwing her arms wide but instead thrusting the box of doughnuts into Hinata's hands. "Look what I bought! I got all your favorites, if they're still your favorites." She giggled as Hinata stared down at the box. "What? Did you think I had completely forgotten about you?"

Hinata smiled and shook her head, turning on the heel of her fuzzy purple slippers and heading towards the kitchen. "I used to remember _I_ did this for _you_ every time _you_ went on a date."

"Yep," Sakura chirped as cheerfully as she could, fearing jealousy might make its presence known. "But now it's _you_ going on hot dates and getting _your_ face plastered all over the gossip magazines."

Hinata smiled at her friend as Sakura kicked off her shoes and let her hair out of her bun. "I'm glad you came."

"Me too." Sakura took her hand and wrapped her in a hug. "You're _so_ lucky! I'm like, completely jealous that you dating _the_ Uchiha Sasuke! I mean, hot _damn_, Hinata-chan!" She laughed brightly, hoping Hinata wouldn't catch how fake and phony it sounded.

But Hinata only seemed to pick up on the fact that Sakura was happy for her. "Let's sleep together, like we used to."

"Yeah!" Sakura bounced on her toes, skipping over to the double door stainless steel fridge. "Warm milk goes best with doughnuts."

"Always," Hinata smiled and picked up the box.

-

Sakura watched as Hinata slept peacefully, looking almost sixteen again. How many times had she stared at that same face as they posed together, laughed together, danced together? How many times had she seen the many other faces Hinata had? How many times had she caused most of those faces?

Her stomach lurched as she thought about everything that had gone on in the last two weeks. Hinata had been nothing but kind and thoughtful and just as sweet as she usually was. But she was more mature, more sure of herself, even if things in her life hadn't gone the best.

_And what about Sakura?_ She thought harshly, only to shove the thought aside. That was her jealously speaking, trying to make her feel bad. She wouldn't let it control her. No, not this time. Now that they were finally best friends again, now that they had finally rewound the clock, she didn't want to mess it up, not again. Not _ever_.

Jealousy was bitch.

But Haruno Sakura was a bigger, _badder_ bitch.

* * *

_But Haruno Sakura was a bigger, badder bitch_

Hinata would never be able to say that, but I still love that line XD

Anyways, I think this chapter did just to the fact that I don't do long chapters XD

I'm outtie ~CocoaAngel95 :]


	12. The Gossip Magazine Cover Tells All

I'm only going to say this _once_, so listen up.

_Sakura isn't going to do anything to Hinata_. Get it? Got it? Good.

Now, quite saying something will, because it's not. Trust me.

* * *

"I've almost forgotten what it was like to have the paparazzi following us," Hinata chirped happily beside Sakura, adjusting her cheetah-print sunglasses with round lenses while not dropping her many shopping bags.

Sakura watched with a silly grin as her friend struggled not to drop everything. "Yeah, well, I missed hanging out with you." She set her bags on the bench of the bus stop and adjusted her outfit, a blue-and-green Dolce and Gabbana paisley maxi halter dress with a white short-sleeve shrug and white gladiator sandals. Her hair had been pulled back into two pigtails at the nape of her neck, creating a breezy beach look. But she envied Hinata's outfit more.

Hinata dropped her bags with a soft sigh and dug through her (new) green snakeskin purse. It didn't match her gray long Rag & Bone boyfriend shirt, navy cropped cotton leggings and black thong sandals with a one-inch wedge heel, but it still looked cute.

Pulling out her PalmTreo, she lifted her glasses and squinted at the screen of the PDA before typing something in and dropping it back into the recesses of her hobo bag. "Let's go get a latte."

Sakura cringed, picking up her bags. "I'll have to get a tea then. My agent is on me for practically eating that whole box of doughnuts myself."

A small smile graced Hinata's glossed lips as her friend sighed at the memory. "Don't worry Sakura-chan. If you're anything like you were nine years ago, you'll be just fine."

"I'm gonna get fat," Sakura mock-whined, throwing her head back. "And I'm not gonna be able to find a cute boyfriend, like my best friend Hina-chan, did!"

Hinata patted her shoulder, clucking her tongue. "Sakura-chan, you should know better! You're just no match for me!"

They cracked up as they crossed the street, jogging across to the café. But the jealousy in the pit of Sakura's stomach told her Hinata wasn't joking. That she really believed that she was all that _and_ more. But Sakura knew better. How many times had they joked about their crushes and relationships? How many times had she whined to Hinata about her intake of calories (in one sitting, she had eaten 2,400, which was twice as many as she should have in a regular meal and three times as many as she should have at an event)? How many times had Hinata come to her, crying because of the guy she liked had dumped her for someone considered pretty but just gave in easily?

Sakura shook off the memory. Fuck her calorie intake. She was with her best friend in the whole wide world. Jealousy wasn't going to get her down, not when everything she had worked for was actually coming together.

Besides, Hinata and Sasuke were meant for each other. There's a reason why _some_ opposites don't attract.

"Sakura-chan," Hinata cocked her head, biting her lip as Sakura stared thoughtfully at her nails. "Are you okay? Do you want to go somewhere else?"

Sakura forced a smile, shaking her head. "I'm fine, Hinata-chan, really!" She leaned forward and flashed a charming smile at the teenaged boy behind the counter, noticing how fast his brown eyes went from awestruck by her face to recognizing that her face was on the bikini magazine hanging on his bedroom wall. "Hello! We'll get two frappuccinos with whole milk and extra whip cream, please."

Hinata smiled as Sakura turned to her. "Wow, Sakura-chan. Are you sure about that? What about your agent?"

"Who, Donnie?" Sakura waved her hand in the air as Hinata giggled. "Fuck 'im, I'll eat whatever I want. All I have to do is spend four hours at the gym. No biggie, I've done it before."

"I don't want to get in trouble."

Sakura pinched her cheek, cooing softly. "Aww, aren't you just the sweetest, Hinata-chan?" She smiled as Hinata laughed, swatting her hand away. "But honestly, it's okay. Donnie knows I'm gold. There's _no way_ he would throw me away. And besides," she threw an arm around Hinata's shoulders, her bags tangling with Hinata's, "I've got my photographer friend who will always be able to call in a favor for me, right?"

Hinata smiled warmly. "Of course."

"Good." Sakura dropped two thousand yen* on the counter and grabbed the frappuccinos. "My life is officially set."

That's what she hoped anyways.

-

This was just too much.

Sakura stared at the cover of her favorite fashion/ celebrity gossip magazine, willing herself to calm down. But jealousy had decided it wouldn't stay quiet at that moment. Thankfully, Hinata wasn't around to see the way Sakura's face twisted with the agony of knowing she would never be able to have Uchiha Sasuke for herself.

Especially when she had the proof of this statement on the front page of her favorite magazine.

With a soft sigh, she dropped the magazine into her blue shopping basket. She was going to have to get over. Hinata needed this at the moment. Everything had fallen apart for her and with Sasuke at her side, she was sure to feel much better. Besides, dating the hottest bachelor in Japan had its advances. Like getting the VIP lounge at Cloud Nine, the hottest nightclub in Japan.

Her stomach twisted and gurgled angrily as she tried to think of anything other than her best friend and her romantic interest laughing together on the front cover. The picture mocked her, telling her she just wasn't even good enough for Uchiha Sasuke. That Hinata was so much more cooler, sweeter, _better_ than Sakura could ever _wish_ to be.

_Stop it!_ She screamed to herself, tears blurring her vision as she pretended to read the ingredients on the back of a pack of cheese. _Just stop it! You are not welcome! Go away and leave me alone!_

_Why should I? _A voice answered back. _Why do you have to be the one who suffers? Why is it you who has to sacrifice what you have been pining for? Why, for once, can't Hinata just mind her own damn business?_

_Because . . ._

Sakura stopped while she was ahead. It was no use. She was jealous, enough said. But that didn't mean she was going to let it get to her. Hinata had gotten there first, fair and square. Besides, it was more than obvious Sasuke didn't like Sakura. The best chance she had of even getting close to _the_ Uchiha Sasuke was being a close friend that he could trust. But she wasn't masochism like that.

Wasn't it enough just to work with _the_ Uchiha Sasuke?

_No._

Fine. So she wanted more. But she wasn't going to get more right?

_True._

So why should she even bother?

_If it weren't for Hinata, you wouldn't be standing here, in the grocery store, crying over a pack of cheese._

_Shut up,_ Sakura ordered the voice, wiping her eyes with back of her hand and throwing the cheese into her basket. Marching towards the "comfort food" section as she liked to call it, she let herself, just for the fifteen minutes she was in there picking up the junkiest of junk foods, abandon all hope of every finding someone as cool as Uchiha Sasuke.

And then she spotted those blue eyes across the aisle and found herself falling deep.

"Sakura-chan?"

She blinked, before smiling brightly at those sea-blue eyes. God, they were gorgeous. "Yes, that's me. Do we, uh, know each other?" _And if not, can I get to know you? _She added in the back of her mind.

Those same eyes light up and she felt blinded. They were just too damn gorgeous! She wouldn't mind getting lost in those eyes during a dinner date. Maybe at the Italian restuarant that just opened up down the street. Or even at one of those Akimichi restuarants. Those were always the best for romantic dinners.

"Yeah! Uzimaki Naruto, remember?"

_Holy shit._ Her thoughts came to a screeching halt as she stared into his tanned face. His hair was longer, and hung in his eyes, just like his father's these days. Those once sky blue eyes were now the color of the sea at noon and his grin was as wide as every. In the last few years, Nartuo had gone from tall, gawky teenager to toned and tanned and rich model boy. She gulped around the lust in her throat. Holy shit, he had really worked. She could see the muscules stretching the sleeves of his white and black horizontal striped Lacoste polo.

"Naruto! Seriously?" She walked over and smiled, remembering how they used to be somewhat close back then. "It's been a long time! How have you been!"

If possible, that grin got a little bit wider, and she remembered he used to smile extra-wide for her in the Academy days. Wasn't it because he had a crush on her? But she wouldn't go out with him because she was crushing on the cute boy from Chemistry? She bit the inside of cheek. Did he still like her? Or were they just friends now?

"I've been great Sakura-chan," Naruto chattered happily. "Especially since I met you here at the grocery store. It's been a while since the Academy, though, I still hang out with a few of the boys from back then. You know Chouji has this new restuarant he opened . . ."

Sakura's emerald eyes lifted as she listened to Naruto peter out. He stared silently down at her and she realized he was a good three inches taller than her. That meant he was at least six-foot-two. Kind of like Uchiha Sasuke, only blond, tanned and blue-eyed. Which was almost as good, but not quite.

"Um," he scratched his cheeks with a finger sheepishly, where the familiar birthmarks that looked like fox whiskers sat. "I was wondering, if maybe, you'd like to go with me?"

Sakura felt the smile grace her lips. He was still as sweet as ever. "Sure, Naruto. I'd love to go."

Maybe if she went out for a little bit, with someone else, she wouldn't be so upset of Sasuke. Besides, Naruto was a great kid. And now that he was older, hotter and toned, she didn't mind his annoying habit of chattering so much either.

In fact, it probably would save her from doing any talking at all.

* * *

Oh snap! Looks like there's gonna be some NaruSaku love!

But at what cost?

Tune in next time to Glamour Shots! XD

I'm outtie ~CocoaAngel95 :]


	13. In a Way, They're Kind of the Same

Sakura sighed softly; her emerald eyes scanning the font cover her favorite magazine. What was it with people? It seemed as if everybody was falling over themselves to get a picture of Sasuke and Hinata. Magazines made up stupid names for the couple. "The Ice Prince Has Found His Maiden" or "Has Hinata been able to thaw Sasuke's Frozen Heart?" or even "Can it be? The Prince Has Found his Princess?" It made her grind her teeth to the nubs, made her stomach gurgle and pop angrily, made her wish she wasn't such a horrible person.

With a sigh, she flopped back on her pearly white sofa, dressed as usual in her short hot pink satin robe. When were people going to recognize her? Would she ever be able to be on the cover of a magazine with Sasuke, other than as models? Would she ever be able to know what his skin felt like, what his lips tasted like? Was she forever doomed to be a number one fan of SasuHina? Would she ever be able to thaw Sasuke's heart?

Her eyes scanned through the captivating articles on her front cover. How to improve you sex life, how to improve your sexuality, how this woman lost sixteen pounds in one week, how to boost your charisma, and how to find your perfect lover through your sign were just some of the articles on the front cover. But she didn't care for them at all. Flipping to the page the featured Sasuke and Hinata, she nibbled on a baby carrot. Was it really necessary to create three whole pages on their relationship?

It took her thirty minutes to finish the article, but only a second to burst into tears. What was her problem? Why wasn't Sasuke into her? Why was always Hinata who got what she wanted? Had they not been friends for years? Had she not done her fair share of goodness? She was a good person! She did good things! She wasn't overly fascinated by herself! She did what she was told! She was a good person, a good girl. So why was it always Hinata who got the best of everything? She had a booming business, she was rich and beautiful, and now she had Japan's hottest bachelor on her arm.

She pulled a pillow into her lap and folded at the waist, her body curled into a tight ball as she cried to herself. Would there ever be a time where Haruno Sakura was given something? Her shoulders hunched as her mind provided the answer. _No. I am nowhere near as perfect as Hinata is, so I shouldn't even bother asking myself these questions._

And then the phone rang.

She bounded off the chair and across the room, quickly grabbing the phone as she wiped her face clean. "Hello?"

She flopped back down on her sofa, bringing her legs up to sit cross-legged. It was only Donnie, telling her off for not smirking hard enough at the camera in her pirate outfit; a pair of thigh-high contemporary slouch-style brown leather pirate boots, a pair of ultra-low rise dark denim Diesel jeans and a pirate hat and eye patch, no shirt, for not looking sexy enough, for not clutching the fake pirate sword hard enough. More tears built up behind her eyes. God, would she ever be good enough? Was she losing her touch?

As soon as Donnie took a breath, she hit the end button. Today was just not her day. She wasn't going to go to any of her appointments and interviews. She was just going to pig out on mint and chocolate chip ice cream and a large vegetarian pizza straight from Pizza Hut. She didn't care what anyone thought about her. She was having a _very serious nervous breakdown_, crying and sobbing about how icky and disgusting her life was. And for the eleventy-millionth time, she wasn't able to run to her best friend . . . But for _once_, it was her best friend that was causing her anguish.

Burying her head into her favorite throw pillow, she folded at the waist again and began promptly sobbing. She was like a schoolgirl all over again. How many times had she fallen for a guy only to find out Ino had gotten him? Or maybe he would hang out with her, only to get to her best friend? How many times had she had to convince Hinata to meet with the guy of her dreams because the guy of her dreams thought the girl of _his_ dreams was indeed _not_ Sakura and instead Hinata? How many times had she cried to her best friend about her some boy totally ignoring her when she had tried everything in the book?

The phone rang and she snapped up again. Was it Donnie? Was he pissed that she had hung up on him in the middle of his "supportive pep talk"? She bit her lip as she reached for the phone. She didn't have the stomach to hear all that. The minute he started laying in on her, she would probably start sobbing like a baby, and then what? She had never cried in front of Donnie, but she had seen his other girls start blubbering about family issues. He had started screaming like a flipping banshee, calming he had family issues, that they were just children, just barely sixteen/seventeen/eighteen/nineteen/twenty years old. They didn't know what family problems were.

Sakura hit the answer button, biting down on her chapped lip and clamping her eyes shut, steeling herself for Donnie's raspy-from-screaming-all-day-long voice to hit her ears at full pitch. "H-hello?"

"Uh, Sakura-chan?"

Her emerald eyes snapped open instantly at Naruto's velvety tones ricocheting through her head. "Naruto-kun?"

"Uh, yeah?" He sounded genuinely worried and Sakura felt her heart flutter happily. It had been a long time since a man had noticed her tone of voice instead of her tone of body. "Are you okay? You don't sound so . . . _hot_."

She rolled her eyes, saying as sarcastically as she could. "_Thanks_, Naruto."

"Maa, I didn't mean it like that! I . . . I meant that you don't sound so good. Like you're tired or something. Oh no! Did I wake you or something? You weren't sleeping, were you?"

"No, no," she smiled and picked up the egg shaped remote to her loft. Hitting the button that said in tiny black letters "curtains" she watched as the red velvet slid apart, revealing the city behind the floor-to-ceiling windows, the sun setting over the glittering bay. "I was just thinking, you know, about life. And my job. It gets hard sometimes . . ." She sighed softly.

"Yeah, it does," he said softly. "But things get better. It's not always going to be easy, you know? People are going to say stuff, do stuff, just to bring you down. I say Let them. I know you you're better than what they tell me, and you know too."

Sakura felt a smile grace her lips. Naruto was grinning too, she could hear it in his voice. "Thank you, Naruto-kun. I . . . I _really_ needed to hear that. Especially from someone who cares for me."

"Aww, Sakura-chan," he chortled happily and Sakura laughed, a bright sound that she hadn't used in awhile.

She turned her eyes toward her windows again, saying in a soft voice. "Hey, you want to go somewhere? I need to get out of this damned place for a while."

"Say when and where and I'll be there."

She laughed again, sliding off the couch, forgetting about her nervous breakdown. "You know my place is. Just pick me up, around seven, and I'll give you the directions."

"Cool. Oh, and Sakura-chan?"

She pulled the string off her silk robe. It dropped away, revealing her slim figure to her bathroom mirror, just the right weight (one-hundred and five pounds), just the right height (five-nine and three-quarters), just the right shape (the waist tampered in, creating a soft curve from under the rib cage to the pelvis). She looked away, turning to her shower. "Yes?"

"It'll be seven in five minutes."

--X--

Hinata gasped as her camera left her slim fingers. "Wha?"

"My name is not 'Wha?'" Sasuke said, his fingers wrapping around her wrist. She blinked as he pulled her close, an arm draping around her shoulders. And not soon after, he was sweeping her across the bright green grass of the park, her crew giggling and chuckling as they passed by. She was still confused. Where were they going? Did they even have plans today? For this afternoon, even?

"Sasuke-kun?" Hinata bit her lip, tilting her head back to look at him. His shades were on, his facial expression as straight as ever. The cool breeze ruffled his long inky black bangs, and Hinata found herself wondering what he was thinking, what went on inside the mind of this normally stoic man. What made him choose her, of all people? What made him drive all the way to this park near the edge of the city, just to pick her up for a surprise date?

"What?"

She jumped as he opened the passenger door to his Aston Martin. A smirk crossed his lips and for a second, she could see his eyes behind the glasses, could see they way they seemed to crinkle in the corner a little from amusement. It made her heart tremble and a blush to rush to the surface of her face, turning her already warm body hotter.

And then the smirk dimmed slightly, like he knew what he was doing, and he shouldn't be doing any kind of facial expression. Instead, he raised an eyebrow, gesturing toward the car. "Well? You said my name."

"Oh." Unwittingly, her shoulders drooped, as if she had been expecting something to happen. "No. It's . . . It's nothing."

He tilted his head, watching her for a moment. "Huh." And then he was walking to the other side of the car and Hinata slid into the front seat, trying to calm her mind and her idiotic obsessions. They had only started dating. It wasn't as if one day, he was going to jump her bones, no matter how much she thought about it. That just wasn't Sasuke. He was deliberate, yes, and honest to boot even if it hurt your feelings, but he wasn't some horny _lap dog _chrissake. She smiled to herself, but whether it was sadly or not, she couldn't tell. She just knew her heart was beating more than it should have been. More than she wished it would.

Tucking a loose stray behind her ear, she looked to Sasuke. "Where are we going anyways?"

"The café."

She blinked owlishly. "Chouji's café?"

"Where else?" he grunted. The car shot off and Hinata clamped her eyes shut for a brief second before snapping them open. Sasuke drove fast. He didn't care for the scenery, didn't care for what was going outside of the car windows. He just needed to get where he was going, and get there as soon as he could. She definitely liked his motorcycle more. At least she was able to feel the air on her skin.

They slid to a liquid stop at a light and Sasuke dropped a hand onto her knee, the warmth spreading from his fingers through the thin cottan of her floral print pattern of her flouncy skirt, driving one-handed. He seemed so . . . _sure_ of himself. He didn't act as if things worried him. His face was always straight, didn't reveal his true nature, what he was feeling inside. It seemed as if he didn't care half the time, and the other half, he just seemed annoyed by everything and everybody else.

Quietly, she breathed out, her stomach warming as she slipped her fingers through his. They were warm, smooth and tough. He worked out, by the calluses on his fingers. She flipped over his hand and ran a thumb across his palm, felt how warm and tough the skin felt. It was . . . familiar. It told her he had his own problems, had his own interests, had his own way of dealing with things. Just like _him_, only quieter, badder and different. There was a difference, and yet there _wasn't_. A certain defiance was definitely there, flickering in the inky black depths of his eyes. A flame that flickered just the same in a pair of azure.

She yanked her eyes off his hand, her train of thought shattering as if suddenly, a brick wall had popped up. That had been an incredibly stupid thought. She had been comparing them again, trying to find all the things that made them so alike, and yet so different. All the times she had tried to forget, all the hard work she had put into putting up a wall to block those damned images, those damned memories that she could never seem to avoid these days. And it all came crashing down because she was looking at her new love interest's palm. Sucking in her bottom lip, she bit down on it, hard, and yelped in pain, the coppery, metallic taste of blood coating her tongue.

"What?" Sasuke glanced at her, and for the briefest second, she could see the worry in his eyes, see the way he seemed concerned for her. And it made her feel . . . warm and fuzzy inside, no matter how corny that sounded.

She bowed her head, a hand coming up to cover her bleeding lip. Sasuke brushed it aside, his fingers gently gripping her chin and twisting her head towards him so he could see. A smirk graced his full lips for the second time and Hinata felt a flame light up under her skin of her face, turning her cheeks red.

"It's nothing big." He sat back and got back on the road, his fingers squeezing her knee softly. "You just ripped a piece of skin off. You'll be fine."

Her eyes dropped to his hand as she wove their fingers together. Yes. It was nothing . . . _big_. Nothing she couldn't fix.

* * *

Sorry this took so long.

I got stuck, but I'm back!

And I'm going to try to keep the chapters at least 1600 words long.

Does that work for you?

I hope so, because I might get lazy sometimes^^

I'm outtie! ~CocoaAngel95 :]


	14. Sunset In Tokyo

I seemed to remember someone saying they wanted more to happen between Hinata and Sasuke.

I agree.

So don't be surprised, but I'm bumping the rating to M. Because I don't think what I've just written will be acceptable to the T's XD

Enjoy ;D

* * *

This was the first month of their relationship.

Hinata's freshly manicured fingers slipped into the crook of his arm, her knuckles white, as she held on tight. Sasuke felt a smirk descend upon his lips as they walked briskly down the street. The air was cool and the dress she was wearing didn't permit for a bra, strapless or not. It was tight and a royal purple chiffon, with a deep sweetheart neckline that showed a generous amount of cleavage. Obviously, it hadn't been her choice, as he knew for a fact Hanabi had visited her earlier in the day. And _obviously_, Hinata had let the cat out of the bag and Hanabi had insisted they go shopping for something sexy to wear on their date.

Sexy indeed.

They were going to be into the hottest, classiest nightclub in Japan. _Sunset In Tokyo_ was known for being the only club that permitted you be a club member to get inside, or a hotshot celebrity. No one knew where the exact location was, except for members and celebrities. And their friends, if members/celebrities decided to bring friends. Or if they didn't want their friends to know, they could have a limo with blackened out windows pick them up.

"Quit fidgeting," he ordered in a smooth voice, glancing down at her. Tonight, she looked beautiful, almost like a Gothic princess, despite her innocent expression. With her glossy auburn hair straightened with her blunt fringe, it hung down her back just a few inches past her shoulder blades. The spaghetti straps and ruched front of her dress enhanced her already huge bust and Sasuke was finding it hard not to reach down and tug the front of her dress down, just to get a peek at those beauties.

Her hand came up and she tugged at the front, making her breast bounce as she tried to make herself modest, when it was really having the opposite effect. Sasuke rolled his eyes behind his shades and brushed her hand away, ordering softly, "Stop fidgeting. You look great."

His fingers brushed against the skin of her breast and she sucked in a breath sharply, as if a jolt had shot through her body. From the corner of his eye, he could see the way her face turned pink and the way her dress couldn't seem to hide what exactly was going through her.

Unconsciously, she pressed herself against him, keeping her head bowed as they approached the alleyway. They had to walk about five meters from where Sasuke had parked the Aston Martin then another two down the dark aisle. Her breathing grew shaky and hesitant, as they stopped in front of a heavy walnut door. It had a golden lion's head doorknocker. The gold seemed so out of place in the grungy alley, and especially them. Sasuke had prided himself on his outfit; a untucked dark blue button-down and a pair of loose-fitting dark-wash jeans, pulled together with his black distressed leather jacket and his favorite aviators.

"Sasuke-kun?"

Sasuke blinked, looking down at his pretty little arm candy. Her eyes were wide, the lavender almost white in the darkness. A shiver shot up her back and he smirked in the dimness, sliding off his jacket and draping it around her shoulders. Then, cupping her chin, he tilted her head back and placed a gentle delicate kiss on her nose.

She breathed out slowly, her glossy soft pink lips glinting in the silvery moonlight. Her eyes were hooded and desire were in their depths, but he wouldn't let himself do that to her. She was too . . . _pure_. A snow white angel that God had sent to Earth just for him. And he wanted to taint her when he was good and ready.

She stood close to him, a little irritation in the huff of her breath. He pretended to not notice, since she would probably deny that she even had such lewd thoughts running ramped in her mind. Raising a hand, he gripped the ring hanging from the lion's jaw and knocked three times. Hinata trembled beside him.

He slid a hand down her back, his fingers tracing her the delicate curve of her curvy body before resting his hand just above her ample ass. Pulling her close, he ducked his head and planted a kiss just behind her ear. He bit her earlobe gently, enjoying the sound of her sharp exhale of breath. She arched against him instinctively as his hand squeezed the cheek of her ample ass, a blush covering her face as she let her eyes flutter close, hiding her lust.

"Uchiha."

Sasuke lifted his head, a hand in his pocket to look at Juugo, who had opened the door. "Juugo. I brought a friend."

Juugo bobbed his head and stepped aside, looking straight ahead with an emotionless expression. Sasuke ushered her in ahead of him, his face decorated by his shades and a smug smirk with knowledge of knowing that he had gotten under his girlfriend's creamy white skin. Hinata flashed Juugo a shy smile, the heels of her rich black Vera Wang feminine ankle-strap sandals (she still wondered how she hadn't fallen in the spike heels) clicking against the dim corridor's polished marble floors.

Wall scones light up the room every two meters and Hinata felt how different the area was. The walls were a smooth sandy brown, the floors glinting a buttery cream in the dim lighting. There were no decorations, save for a few paintings. It was beautiful, she realized. Classy and modern. This fit Sasuke perfectly. And with a sigh of relief, she knew she wasn't _too_ dressed up for this night.

At the end of the empty corridor, there was a pair of heavy arched doors just like the front. They were made of the same heavy walnut wood, but they were less grungy, more classical. As if she were about to enter a palace. There were no handles that she could see as they approached. Did that mean someone would swing them open? She fully expected to see two men dressed in sharp tuxedos, like Juugo, step out from the shadows and push on the doors, opening them as easily as if they were the doors at a grocery store.

Instead, when they were just two and a half feet away, the doors swung open slowly. A gasp escaped her lips and Sasuke smirked. He knew the secret to why the doors swung open gracefully. There were pressure pads just under the tile that allowed the mechanisms connected to doors to swing them open, as if they opened by themselves. It was very clever design, meant to impress every time someone used them. And Sasuke was certainly impressed every time.

They glided through and Hinata gasped for a second time. The inside was amazing. Dark purple satin was used like wallpaper on the walls. The dance floor was lowered, with three steps leading down the lit up tiles of the floor while in a glass dome protruding from the wall just fifteen meters from the floor a DJ was having a grand time mixing beats. Wall scones were used to lighting, save for the bar, which took over an entire corner of the room. Black wrought iron railing lined the floor and tables with buttery cream silk tablecloths and matching cushioned carved back cherry wood chairs were seated around them.

She tilted her head back and realized that they were only on the first floor. It looked as if they were hotel rooms and Hinata felt her cheeks begin to burn as a woman in a tight dark metallic silver jersey halter dress and matching heels walked out of one of the rooms, licking her puffy lips. She leaned over the railing, her glossy blond hair sliding down her shoulders. A man joined her and their chemistry was so palpable Hinata had to turn away, sure that very soon, something intimate would happen between them.

The people on the dance floor were dressed up just like she was, in designer names and expensive shoes. But that didn't seem to matter, because they were bumping and grinding to the music just the same. She blushed as a woman grinded her hips into a man, her head thrown back, her red lips stretched into a grin. Hinata realized she could never let go like that, mainly because she was afraid that someone would see her and remember that she was a Hyuga.

She pressed herself against Sasuke and bowed her head, letting her gaze bounce off everything from under her lashes.

Sasuke cupped her chin and looked straight in her eyes. His had discarded his glasses and the onyx was absolutely breathtaking, literally. She found it hard to catch her breath as he pressed his lips over hers in a sweet kiss. A jolt of electricity shot through her and a tremble ran up her back. Too many images of him pleasing her flashed through her mind in startling clarity, causing her to throb between her legs. Lately, Sasuke seemed to have that affect on her.

"Quit fidgeting," he murmured as he pressed a kiss to her temple. "You look wonderful."

She closed her eyes as her stomach fluttered. His breath was warm and minty-fresh. It curled over her eyelashes and dug into her sense of smell, filling her with lust and desire. She ducked her head, hiding her eyes, hoping to God he didn't see what was going on inside her mind. She knew her face was a straight gateway to her feelings, which was how Hiashi had managed to find out when she was lying when she was younger.

His fingers curled around her chin, pulling her head back up. "I said stop. Be a good girl and stop fidgeting." A smirk crossed his lips as she fought back the urge to duck her head again, instead lifting her chin and biting her lip. "Good girl."

He wrapped an arm around her slim waist, leading her towards the bar. Her eyes roamed over the couples and groups who sat in booths and at tables, everyone seemingly relaxed in the comfortable atmosphere. There were so many celebrities, Hinata was surprised the paparazzi weren't having a field day in here. But Sasuke had mentioned no one would be able to find them here.

They passed the tables and Hinata was surprised to find that there was an intimate corner. Espresso brown leather couches and loveseats were everywhere. They were adorned by black, cream and dark purple throw pillows of shapes and sizes. There were a few cashmere blankets in the same colors thrown over their arms and backs. Hinata felt herself relax as the bass beat through her feet to her body. It was like a massage, causing her mind to slow and her shoulders to loosen. She could feel it in Sasuke too, the way he swaggered instead of his usual practiced saunter. The corners of his mouth were tilted up slightly, a sort of conceited half smile.

He sank onto a loveseat and pulled Hinata into his lap. She nestled against him, crossing her legs and sliding her arms into the jacket around her shoulders. The smell of his shampoo and cologne pierced her nose and she inhaled deeply, letting her eyes flutter close. It made her lightheaded and horny, which she guessed was how she had been the whole night. With Sasuke, whole new emotions came into play and she didn't mind. It made her giddy and for the first time that night; she felt a soft smile cross her lips, taking the tension out of her face.

A waiter with platinum blond hair and golden eyes dressed in a crisp white button down, tucked loosely into a pair of rich black slacks and shiny dress shoes walked over. The card clipped to his belt loop said his name was Kin and while Hinata reclined against him, Sasuke ordered a strawberry daiquiri and atomic fireball.

After slipping money out of money clip and handing it to Kin, Sasuke turned his attention towards his beau. Her eyes roamed the room, her body tucked against him. He placed a hand on her lower back and another on her knee, nuzzling her neck. She instinctively arched against him as his tongue skimmed lightly over the skin of her collarbone.

His hand slid up her knee to the edge of her dress as he kissed her passionately, teasing her bottom lip with his tongue. She responded right back, her hands coming up to grip front of his shirt. Her chest heaved up and down as she shyly parted her full lips, their tongues tangling as they explored each other's mouth. He did all the tricks; sucked on her tongue, nibbled her lip. And she followed right along, gasping and moaning so softly, he wondered if he had heard it at all.

He pulled back just as the waiter came back with their drinks balanced on a round polished dark wood tray. His eyes slid over Hinata as she tried to regain her breath. Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes glazed over with lust. Sasuke knew exactly what she wanted, even if she didn't know what it was herself. Or maybe she did, but was just too scared to make the first move.

Leaning past her, he took his drink and smirked as it took her a few seconds to register what was going on. She grabbed for her strawberry daiquri and took a deep sip, closing her eyes as the sugar and rum hit her tongue and over took her senses. She swallowed and before she could open her eyes, he kissed her. He parted her lips skillfully, his tongue wrapped around hers, tasting of his martini, sugar, rum and the fireball jawbreaker.

A moan loud enough to catch the attention of a passing couple left her. He chuckled as she pressed into him, her arms wrapping around his neck as her enthusiasm increased.

Squirming in his arms, she felt the throbbing increase; almost matching the fast beat of the song on the dance floor. It flowed through her, making her bold, courageous, _adventurous_. Sasuke's hand slid under her dress and cupped her cheek, giving it a _very_ suggestive squeeze. A moan left her lips as the warmth speared her core and the throbbing picked up the tempo, driving her insane with pleasure.

And then, as if God had decided enough was enough, she heard an all too familiar laugh.

"Damn, teme! You lucky bastard!"

She snapped back as Sasuke let out an irritated smile. With shaky hands, she smoothed her hair, keeping her head bowed. _This is not_ _happening,_ she thought as dread spread through her. _Please let it not be happening._

But it was. Her stomach trembled as the throbbing between her legs seemed to stop all together. She felt like she was going to throw up. It had been years since she had seen _him_. And she was afraid those azure eyes would draw her in again, breaking her heart all over again, especially when she thought she had moved on. Especially when she had been so excited because she and Sasuke were getting somewhere.

"_Fuck_," Sasuke grumbled. He sat back, his sliding back up her thigh, sensations zapping through her as the warmth rested on her knee. It went right back to her core and she shifted, loving how the movement brought everything rushing back. She was so sensitive right now, it was a wonder she hadn't fallen apart in Sasuke's arms already.

And then she made the mistake of looking up.

Uzumaki Naruto grinned down at them. Tonight he was dressed in a white-on-white Marc Jacobs striped untucked button down and medium-wash baggy jeans, a silver chain dangling from his belt loop to his pocket and a black, expensive-looking Rolex, which he had modeled. His azure eyes were happy and glinting like gems and all those delicious feelings flooding her began a war against her dread. Her eyes slid to go over his shoulder, but the cerise hair just below his collar caught her attention. She sucked her breath in so sharply, it made her back stiffened.

Sakura stared at them, her made-up emerald eyes glinting with envious thoughts. She was dressed in a black cap-sleeve blazer tight pink silk cami and skin-tight black denim skinny jeans with hot pink stitching. Gold, black and hot pink bangles adorned her thin wrists, which matched her polka-dotted back. a pair of hot pink platform peep-toe ankle-strap sandals adorned her feet, her nude painted toenails peeking through. Suddenly, those black lined eyes averted, her hand coming up to press her knuckles in her mouth.

Hinata felt like she had been sucker-punched in the stomach. Sakura was dating Uzumaki Naruto? _The_ Uzumaki Naruto? _Her_ ex-boyfriend Uzimaki Naruto?

Naruto flashed her a grin. "Good to see ya, Hinata-chan. You look really pretty tonight." He scowled playfully at Sasuke, an arm around Sakura's shoulders as he wagged a finger at Sasuke. "Play nice, you."

Sasuke smirked and pulled Hinata closer, who instantly melted against him, her eyes on her lap, cheeks crimson. "Whatever, dumbass. Don't do anything I wouldn't do."

Naruto laughed as Sakura shot Sasuke an apprehensive look. "Look who's talking, bastard! You ain't left anything for me to do!"

And then Naruto was whisking Sakura away, towards another loveseat a few meters down. Hinata closed her eyes; the dread disappearing with every meter Naruto was farther away from her. She opened her eyes and squeaked as Sasuke's smoky onyx gazed at her, their uber-coolness flushing her skin and making the throbbing between her legs come back at full force.

"Where were we?" he mumbled in a husky voice before dipping his head and gently nipping her earlobe. She moaned, chasing the thought of Naruto away with Sasuke's kisses.

* * *

The next son of a gun who says "That's sweet!" is gonna get it

Imma make sure of it XD

But anyways, sweet was not what I was going for it! Smexy, people!

Oh, and I got better at my kissing scenes. Can't you tell? XD

Hoping you had as much fun as I did! ~CocoaAngel95 ;D


	15. The Unjust Pleasures of Life

She woke up in Sasuke's bed.

At first, she didn't know _where_ she was. Her three strawberry daiquiris had gone straight to her blood system. She had been drunk _long_ before she was even finished with the first one. But they had been so sweet and sugary, much better than she thought they would taste. And Sasuke had morals. He would never have taken advantage of her. Even if she had wanted it.

Anyways, she had woken up swamped by white linen sheets and down-filled pillows in a smoky gray that matched the duvet. The walls were dark gray with lighter gray vertical stripes. Black and white photos of landscape decorated the walls. She sat up and realized she was only dressed in a white men's t-shirt that grazed her thighs and was loose on her chest with a pair of blue and gray striped boxer shorts over her lace boy shorts. A blush dusted her cheeks as she realized Sasuke had seen her underwear.

Gazing around the room, she realized it was very modern but cozy looking. The wardrobe and six-drawer dresser were sleek and black, like the bed with its bookcase shelve headboard. On the headboard, there were only two pictures in black and white. One was with a woman who looked almost like the little boy sitting her lap. He was grinning widely, flashing the camera a peace sign, the woman hugging him tightly. Her head was tilted; her eyes squinted and mouth wide with a silent laugh. The other was of fourteen-year-old Sasuke, dressed in a black wife beater and cargo pants with black flip flops, smirking at the camera over a pair of black shades, a hand in his pocket. Even though he was just a teenager, Hinata found herself blushing. He had been good-looking even as a child.

"Awake are we?"

Her head snapped in the direction of Sasuke's voice. It was soft, almost as if he were trying to keep her from starting. He watched her with lazy interest as he hitched up a shoulder and leaned against the doorway of his bedroom, dressed in a bright white polo and red Hawaiian floral print board shorts. They were the only burst of color on him, save for his slightly pink lips. Hinata looked to her lap, trying to shove back the heat that was working its way towards her core.

He walked cross the carpet in a pair of black sheepskin slippers. "You were so wasted last night after the club I could smell the sugar and rum radiating off of you." He sat on the edge of the bed and cupped her chin, forcing her eyes to look into his. A smirk crossed his luscious lips. "But I didn't mind."

Heat spread from her face to the rest of her body and a shiver shot up her back. In the span two minutes, Sasuke had managed to get her hot and bothered. And honestly, she didn't mind. But it was still a little embarrassing to be horny so quickly.

He leaned over and pressed a kiss to her temple that made several shivers rake her body. "I got your assistant to drop off some clothes." He gestured towards the black leather overstuffed chair that sat in the corner, a golden puddle of light from the four floor-to-ceiling windows making the leather warm. A large Louis Vuitton backpack sat in the seat and Hinata could see Yumi had digging through her closet and drawers looking for the sexy new underwear she had bought (an impulse buy. They were selling five sets in different colors for five thousand yen) and a cute outfit.

"Thank you," she mumbled softly, averting her eyes. "That was very kind of you, Sasuke-kun."

"'Course." He stood and shoved his hands into his pockets. "You're head doesn't hurt too bad does it?"

She glanced up at him and only just realized there was a dull pounding at the base of her skull. It grew into a buzzing in her ears and the pain got bigger, making her feel sick and flushed. Sasuke frowned, his charcoal eyes watching as her face pinched up.

All too suddenly, he was in the bed beside her, cradling her against his chest. She sighed as his fingers soothed her hair back from her forehead. His face looked indifferent, as if he did this every day. And even though it was creepy to think so, Hinata could easily see how many women had gone through this same thing, feeling his tough yet smooth fingers soothing away their hangover. And even though she felt a stab of jealousy in her gut, she also felt like he actually cared about her well-being.

"I probably shouldn't have ordered those three daiquiris." He sighed and the air ruffled her already mussed bangs. "But I needed to see what you looked like drunk."

She squeaked and burrowed her face in his shirt, hearing the silent rumbling in his chest from his laugh. Her voice came out muffled as she said, "And what was that like?"

He smirked down at her, cupping the back of her head, tilting her head back. "Better than I expected." He dipped his head and dropped kisses along her collarbone before suckling the creamy skin at the base of her neck. She shivered against him, closing her eyes as his licked and soothed the burning sensation from his nipping.

His hand caressed her thigh and his fingers sank into the plumpness as he switched from her neck to her mouth. Her lips parted instantly and he smirked, teasing and nibbling along her bottom lip. She was breathing hard already and he could tell it had been a while since her body had been satisfied sexually. And he could happily provide that for her.

She moaned as he sucked her tongue and he felt blood rush to his groin. She moved against him, arching her back as she tried to get a better taste of him.

Pulling back, he gazed at her with smoky, lust-filled eyes. Her skin was flushed and her chest heaving as she struggled to catch her breath. He was caught between ravishing her now or later. Whether he wanted her skin flushed from a shower or if he wanted her first thing in the morning. Hell, he hadn't even eaten breakfast.

He reluctantly sat up and she blushed, sitting up as she realized what she was doing. Slipping of the bed, he cocked his head and hit her with a smoky-eyed look, smirking. "Why don't you take a shower first."

It wasn't a question. It wasn't a suggestion. It was an order. Hinata nodded and a sudden image of Sasuke dominating her sexually sparked in her mind. It sent heat straight to her netherlands and she ducked her head, her face turning a rapid color of crimson.

He gestured towards the door just across from the bed. "That's the bathroom. Have at it." With that, he turned on his heel and loped towards the living room, his emotionless mask slipping back into place.

Hinata sagged her shoulder as he disappeared around the corner. She couldn't tell whether she was disappointed they hadn't gone further or that she had acted in such a way. But it was as if kissing Sasuke dissolved her brain into a useless heap. She couldn't do much when his lips were searching, seeking all over her face and neck. It didn't help that he was so tender about it too, as if she his porcelain doll.

Standing from the bed, she dug through her bag and managed to find something decent, a black racer back tank top, slate gray satin cargo pants and black flip flops with kitten heels. In a suede bag, she found a pair of black chandelier earrings and a black hair tie to tug her hair back. A smile crossed her kiss-swollen lips as she carried her backpack to the bathroom. Yumi really had her figured out.

Inside the bathroom, it was all white. White walls, white porcelain fixtures with platinum accents, white seemed to cover the entire area. Hinata smiled. This room was sterile, she could tell. It would be extremely hard to keep his garden tub and glass shower gleaming if it weren't.

She stepped into the shower turned on the hot water; only to have to swallow back a startled scream as a jet of scalding hot water hit her back with high pressure. A shiver raked her body as she adjusted to the heat. It was like getting a full body massage while bathing. Exhilarating.

Her eyes scanned the tiny space as she let the water melt away her hangover. He used a very expensive kind of shampoo to get his hair extra soft. His favorite body wash was Tag. He used a black sponge instead of a washcloth. A blush crept up her neck as her mind provided her with an image of a naked Sasuke running said sponge down her bare body.

A moan escaped her lips as she clenched her thighs, wrapping her arms around her body. She tried to shove the thought back, but that didn't help much. It only made room for more images, images like Sasuke running his tongue down the creamy skin of her throat. Or Sasuke palming, squeezing, and suckling her breasts.

She gulped; knowing the heat rushing through her wasn't from the shower. She was a sex-starved woman, she realized. The last man she had made love with was currently dating her best friend. And the man she was lusting after wasn't spontaneous enough to come busting into the shower to give her a rub down. Though, it would have been a welcome surprise.

Just to stop herself from thinking such lewd thoughts, she grabbed the shampoo.

--X--

Sasuke whipped around, turning to see Hinata as he cooked omelets. Her hair was wet and hung down her back in shimmery auburn strands. Her racer back tank top clung to her breasts; her satin cargos hanging from her hips and revealing a sliver of creamy white skin.

_And she smelled just like him._

Until now, he hadn't realized that was a big turn on. But then again, he had never had a woman walk out of his bedroom barefoot and flushed from a twenty-minute shower. She had a glazed, sated look to her lavender-tinted eyes and he wondered if the moan he thought he had heard wasn't his imagination at work.

He turned back to his omelet, saying in a clear voice. "Did you enjoy your shower?"

She started, her eyes widening as he glanced over his shoulder to look at her. "Oh, um, yes! It was very nice. Exhilarating." A blush dusted her cheeks as she dropped her eyes, letting her hands disappear into the pockets of her cargos. "It's certainly better than what I have at home."

"Thanks. I just got it installed."

A laugh bubbled from her lips as she sat in the breakfast nook. He walked over and set down a plate in front of her. Lavender, honeysuckle and Tag hit his nose and for a second, all he could see were images of Hinata before his eyes. Hinata moaning with pleasure, Hinata with her hands above her head, Hinata with her legs parted.

She tilted her head, those lavender eyes regarding him with concern as he set the plate down on the table. "Is something wrong, Sasuke-kun?"

At the simple sound of her voice, he was forced to reign himself in. He wouldn't let himself think with his penis, no matter how much his erection fought for control over his fragile state of mind. But Hinata wasn't exactly making it easy, especially since her outfit was meant to show a lot without showing much. He wanted to feel the satin of her pants slip through his fingers, wanted to tear the tank top from her body, freeing those utterly perfect breasts. And even though he wanted, it didn't mean he would get, right?

But . . .

Ah, fuck it. His penis had won after all.

He grabbed her wrist and pulled out of the booth with gentle determination, his smoky eyes filled with lust. She gasped, but it was cut off sharply as their mouths meshed together, Sasuke's thumbs caressing the apples of her cheeks.

She melted against him, her hands resting on his hips and pulling them close. His fingers ran through her auburn locks and with a gentle tug, he tilted her head back, his mouth leaving hers to explore the expanse of creamy skin along her neck.

A soft sigh left her lips as he dropped his hands from her hair, only to cup her ass through the satin. The satin and the sent of his Tag body wash mixed with natural sent of honeysuckle sent a jolt of electricity coursing through his body, right to erection. It was absolute turn on for him, his scent mingling with hers in the most peculiar way possible.

She moaned as he slid his fingers up the bare skin of her back, tracing her body's curves. Skillfully, he unclasped her lacy black strapless bra and before she could figure out was going on, he had lifted her onto the counter, sliding off her tank top. Her legs wrapped around his waist as he palmed those luscious breasts of hers.

"Damn," he muttered. He glanced up at her and smirked, watching as a flush of pleasure covered her face. "You don't know how long I've been waiting to do this." He dipped his head and swirled his tongue around one dusty bud, rolling the other between his fingers.

She let out a little cry, arching her back, offering her to him. He nipped down and she crooned, throwing her head back as he soothed it over with his tongue. He alternated between the two, tugging, nipping and soothing as she trembled in his hands.

Finally, when he could take it no more, he picked her up and carried her towards the bedroom. She wrapped her arms and legs around him, throwing kisses along his jaw line and collarbone. For someone who hadn't been pleasured in a long time, Sasuke found it hard not to just fuck her in the hallway right now.

Setting her down on the bed, he worked off her pants, trailing kisses down her creamy white stomach. He stripped her off those satin pants and let his fingers trace her body as he suckled those perfect breasts. Her hips tilted and she ground against him, her head thrown back as she entangled her fingers in his hair.

And then the phone rang.

Sasuke growled, pulling back as Hinata let out a disappointed sigh. God was just an unjust man.

* * *

So that's a taste of life for ya XD

They were really going at it. But sadly, there wasn't going to be much after that!

XD Ho boy, some of you are cursing me right now, aren't you?

Anyways, I'm outtie! ~CocoaAngel95 ;]


	16. The Day of Reckoning

I know some people aren't for all the sex before marriage thing. And I respect that. So here's a warning for you^^

Enjoy^^

* * *

She should have known.

Hinata swallowed around the cottony lump forming in her throat, gently setting the magazine aside. Another tabloid showcasing what she couldn't have and wouldn't dare to wish for. Another reason why she shouldn't linger in the past. Another memory for her to forget. Another moment in her life where she just wanted to curl up and sleep the days away.

Yumi set a venti frappuccino in front of her, saying in a soft voice, "Had a late night, Hyuga-sama?"

Hinata felt a blush of embarrassment creep up her neck as she swiveled her head with a soft sigh. "Please, Yumi-chan. It's not nice to pry into people's personal lives."

"Oh, but it's _so_ fun," Yumi giggled, propping a hip against the desk as Hinata blushed darker. "So, tell me. Is he as good a kisser as they say?"

The older woman smiled into her drink, swiveling her chair so that Yumi got her profile. "I don't –what do you call it?- kiss and tell."

Yumi threw her head back and laughed, walking away from the desk. "He must be if you're being so secretive!" She grinned as Hinata shook her head. "Oh come on, Hyuga-sama! Just give me a hint of what he's capable of!"

Hinata stood from her chair, smoothing down her black racer back tank top and faded denim shorts. "Honestly Yumi-chan, I wouldn't know." She laughed softly as Yumi pouted. "I'm sorry if you're disappointed."

Her eyes dropped the magazine on her desk as she placed a manicured hand over it; her long fingers covering the two faces she wished weren't so close to each other. "Besides, there are other things that are more important than my love life." _Not that I have much of one_.

"You're such a _prune_, Hyuga-sama," Yumi pouted, tugging on the hem of her cobalt blue tank top, paired with a camel cropped elbow-length sleeved blazer. "I mean you're dating _the_ Uchiha Sasuke. Couldn't you share just a little bit with me?" She pressed her palms together, widening her eyes. "Please? I need gossip. I _need_ it."

Hinata fought back a smile, the corner of her full lips twitching. "Oh, so it's a necessity?"

"Yes."

Her face was so serious, Hinata burst out laughing, easily tucking the magazine under her arm –maybe to remind herself of what she was losing, or maybe to tell herself that he had moved on long ago, and that maybe, she too should move on- as she walked past her assistant. "If you must know, Yumi, he's very," she paused, before sighing softly. "He was very gentle with me, as if I were something of incredible value . . . and he didn't want to break me."

A blush decorated her cheeks as Yumi's eyes widened. "He didn't rush, not even when I wanted him too. He took care . . . to make sure I felt everything- every little touch, every little kiss. It wasn't just us making out." She turned her lilac colored eyes on the twenty-two year old, a smile curving her lips. "It was something much, much more. I can't put my finger on it, but I know it was something more."

Yumi sighed wistfully, practically floating after Hinata to the elevator. "That's so romantic! I never would have pegged Uchiha-kun as the romantic type! It's like a love story! Or a romance novel! Only real and beautiful and so much more better in the flesh!"

Hinata's laughed, shaking her head. "Oh Yumi-chan. You just don't know." Her eyes dipped to her cup of coffee as they waited for the doors to open. "You just don't know."

The doors dinged open and she lifted her eyes off her cup, instead looking into familiar inky black pools, ringed by long lashes and a knowing smirk. A blush decorated her cheeks as Yumi gasped, her face turning bright pink as she took two huge steps back. "I, um, I have some, uh . . . Excuse me!" She turned on the heel of her black patent leather slingbacks and hightailed back to Hinata's office, the doors closing with a loud _snick_ behind her.

Sasuke smirked, pressing a kiss to Hinata's temple. "Surprise."

She eyed him as he slipped an arm around her shoulders, leading her towards the elevator. "Is there a reason why you're here?"

He tilted his head; his aviators sliding down his nose as he looked at her. "What? I can't visit my girlfriend? Or are you so busy you don't have time for me, _Hyuga-sama_?"

She blushed, ducking her head. "It was just . . . surprising is all." She tucked the magazine against her side tighter. Guilt seared her stomach as she thought of Naruto and Sakura sharing an ice cream sundae on the front cover of the magazine. All she could think about was how happy they looked. How Naruto had never smiled like that for her. How she would never be the one who owned that beautiful smile.

Her throat tightened as she was forced to look away from Sasuke, fearing that he might read her tears. Was it wrong to pin after a man that had long ago moved out of her league? Especially when she too had supposedly moved on from their disastrous romance? Was it wrong to love another man while she dated another?

Leaning against Sasuke, she felt herself slowly unraveling. There was so much going on. She had hardly produced a photo in all that time. Her agent was getting pissy. People were getting antsy. And she had another gallery opening within the next two weeks. Of course, she hadn't done a single thing. She hadn't even lifted her camera.

Sasuke heaved a sigh, crossing his arms over his printed charcoal gray tee. "What's wrong?"

She blushed and pressed her arms to her sides, holding the magazine closer to her. "N-nothing."

"Liar."

The crimson in her cheeks turned darker as she shook her head. "It's nothing! Honestly!"

Unfortunately, this was the exact time the magazine decided to escape. She fumbled to catch it, but only succeeded to drop her coffee, spilling it across the marble floors. The coffee splattered all over the glossy front cover of the magazine and all she could do was watch as the colors ran and the picture curled and crinkled. A feeling far too close to home and heart raced through her and she felt panic rising in her stomach. She hadn't even read the article inside. It felt like it was eating her _alive_. What were they saying about Naruto and Sakura? Had anyone remembered her and Naruto's relationship? Were they comparing the two?

Her stomach tightened as her mouth soured. God, she used to believe those month with Naruto had been the absolute best. Her dreams come true. She had her successful photography company, her friends, and Naruto. She didn't need anything else. She had found happiness.

And then he had dumped her, and her world had suddenly come to a screeching halt.

Sasuke's hand caressed her cheeks as he titled her head up, his eyes narrowed in suspicion. "What's wrong?"

She bit her lip, letting her eyes close. It was probably the only way she could escape his soul-searching glaze. "N-nothing."

He frowned down at her; letting his hands fall away from her face and slip back into his pockets. "_Riiiight_."

The sheer amount sarcasm in his voice made her flinch. She ducked her head, reaching for the coffee-soaked magazine on the floor between them. "G-gomen. I'm not . . . I'm not feeling too well at the moment." She looked through her lashes at him, clutching the magazine in both hands as if she were protecting something, but mainly her heart. "Please don't be angry with me, Sasuke-kun."

He stared at her for a second, those wonderfully onyx eyes searching for something, _anything_ that could explain her current attitude. She hitched her chin up by the slightest fraction and he smirked, reaching out to pull her close. Almost instantly, she molded against him as his hands rested on her hips, his lips pressed against the top of her head. She sighed softly and let her head drop against his chest and she could hear his heartbeat so clearly, so strong. It was steady and confident, just like the man in front of her.

The word's left her mouth before she could stop them. "Let's go to my place."

He chuckled and she could hear the mischief in it, sending sparks right through her body in the most wonderful way. "Now you're talking."

--X--

Sasuke pressed a kiss to the expanse of her neck, pulling her close against his chest. She folded into him, and thought of how ridiculous he looked against the bright, pastel colors of her bed. The pillows and sheets surrounding them were such a shock of color to the masculine, clean, modern look of his. And yet somehow, he looked even more so, as if the colors only helped to prove exactly how confident he was.

Before she could stop herself, she had straddled his waist, and found the early evening light streaming in through her bedroom windows were just right, highlighting the blue in his normally inky black hair. Onyx eyes so full of mischief and confidence seemed to touch her soul and all over. And his smirk. Tantalizing full lips crooked at the corner, showcasing all his arrogance in one swift movement.

Without thinking, she brought the camera to her eye. He shifted underneath her, his hands resting on her hips and she felt something warm and delicious fill that empty hole in her heart. She had spent weeks, days, months, trying to heal herself after the disastrous relationship with Naruto but the hole remained. She could slap band-aid after band-aid over it, but that never worked, and the hole sat there for months, keeping her from really feeling happiness. Keeping her from realizing she hadn't, in fact, moved on.

Those eyes –as black as the bay at midnight, stared up at her. She lowered the camera and surprised herself by setting it aside. She wanted to keep this moment to herself. Sasuke, at the moment, was all hers. And she didn't want to think, didn't want to see, didn't want to know just how much she was actually missing in herself.

"Come here," he murmured, tugging her down to kiss her.

A soft sigh emitted from her lips and he smirked, laying her down underneath him. He teased her mouth into submission and she let him. All her thoughts disappeared and her mind cleared. There was nothing stopping her, nothing holding her back, and anxiety bit into her. But she was ready, had been ready, and wouldn't it be wonderful for the paparazzi to walk by her apartment and see Sasuke's Aston Martin?

He pulled away and let his hands slip along the curves of her body. At five-foot-nine, she was slender, but curvy. Plump in all the right places and toned in all the others. He pressed a lingering kiss to the expanse of creamy white skin on her neck and simultaneously slid his hands along her waist, pushing up her tank top to reveal her flat stomach.

Tugging the tank top off, he was faced with her lace bra, a dark turquoise blue that made a smirk come to his lips. The flush of excitement on her cheeks turned to a blush as he slipped it off and palmed those beauties. There wasn't a moment in the day he didn't think of her breasts, full and lush, just waiting for him to suck.

"I will admit," he said, smirking as he lust-filled lilac eyes watched him, "the minute I saw you, I wanted to get you naked."

She blushed, but couldn't stop the laugh that bubbled from her lips. And it was soon replaced by a gasp of surprise as Sasuke ducked his head, nipping down one perfect rosy bud. She arched against him as he suckled hard, nipping and swirling his tongue, switching his attention between each.

Blood shot to his groin as she shivered, a moan leaving her lips. With an answering groan of his own, he grabbed her hips and damn near ripped the faded denim shorts from her legs.

He pressed a kiss to the inside of her thighs and worked his way back to her mouth, discarding clothing as he went. She threw her head back with a breathy cry as he lingered on her breasts before tearing the breath out of her lungs with a passionate kiss.

"This time," he murmured against her neck, positioning himself between her legs, "there will be no interruptions."

In response, she wrapped her legs tightly around his trimmed waist and a pressed a greedy kiss to his neck.

He entered her gracefully and smirked when she whimpered with the need for him to go faster. And all too soon, they were caught up in the throws of passion. Skin to skin, she rocked against him as he pumped in and out of her. Her loins tightened as their rhythm quickened, his kisses grew intense and hungry. Loud cries of unadulterated passion left her lips with every slide home, with every delicious feeling.

It wasn't until she climaxed several times that she realized something. This was the exact meaning of making love.

* * *

I personally, am disappointed with myself and that little scene. It's been like forever and a day since I've seen you and that scene was almost depressing.

I apologize XD

But thank you for reading! I know, it's been awhile. But I needed this to be perfect. *sigh* I don't think I got perfect, but good enough XD

Anyways^^

Peace up, A-town down! ~CocoaAngel95


	17. This Is The Part Where We Hug

"Hyuga-sama," Yumi opened the door to Hinata's office, her face straight and devoid of any emotion. "There's someone here to see you."

Hinata blinked, setting down the latest pictures Toshi had sent her. There was only one time she had ever seen her assistant look this way. It was when Yumi and her last boyfriend (he had done a lot of modeling for some big time Japanese designers) had gotten into a major fight on one of Hinata's set. She had sent them home to work things out, thinking that it was a lover's spat and nothing serious. Yumi had come back the next day, stony and angry. When the boyfriend had come in to ask for her forgiveness, Yumi had acted like she had never seen him before.

The older woman watched as Yumi slid through the door, dressed in a white wife beater with electric blue floral print over a matching blue tee and a white flowy knee-length skirt with white high-heeled gladiator sandals. "Oh, alright. Who is it?"

Yumi's bright brown eyes seemed to harden as she folded her arms tightly. "Haruno Sakura."

Hinata felt her back stiffen at the name, but forced her apprehension away. It had been three days since that magazine, and a few weeks since she had talked to the woman who she used to call everyday. There was no reason for her act in such a way. Hitching up her chin, she stood from her chair, her hands nervously smoothing her white ruched neckline tank top and faded denim shorts with a white leather belt threaded through the belt loops.

She walked around her desk and sat on the edge, nodding to Yumi. "Send her in please. And if it's alright with you-,"

"It's far from all right," Yumi replied snippily. Hinata blinked, shocked as the girl glared at the door. "She knew. She _knew_ that you still loved Naruto! And what did she do? Went around behind your back and started dating him, like you wouldn't care! That's so . . . _despicable_! She's a total skank! Any respect I had for her is now gone!"

Yumi watched as Hinata's face went from shocked to appalled in a matter of seconds. "Well! It's true!"

"It isn't," Hinata said firmly, slipping of the deck. She shook her head, her high ponytail rippling down her back. "Yes, I still loved Naruto, and yes, I was hurt that she and him were dating and she didn't say anything about it. But Sakura-chan never has been, and never will be a 'skank'." She said the word as if she were saying, "vomit." "Naruto and I broke up long ago, but as you know, I still loved him. But it's time I moved on, Yumi-chan. I know you care for me, but I'm a big girl, I can handle myself." She sighed, placing a hand on her hip and brushing her bangs to the side. "I know you're upset about what Sakura did, as was I. But I also understand that there are some things in this world that I need to deal with. If they like each other, and want to date, it's not my right to say that they shouldn't, that he should be with me. Despite my feelings for him, I want him to be happy. And if being with Sakura makes him happy, than so be it."

"But-," Yumi began, but Hinata shook her head, leaning back against the desk. "There is nothing I can do, Yumi-chan. Yes, I feel bad and upset that I can't be with Naruto, can't make him laugh or smile like Sakura is able to do, but I will perceiver."

Yumi bit her lip and turned on the heel of her shoe. "All right, I take back what I said. But I still don't trust her."

"That's all right, Yumi-chan. I understand how you feel." Hinata smiled. "Please bring her in."

Yumi stalked back out the room, closing the door with a bit more force than was actually necessary. Hinata cringed, but kept her smile in place. Despite her little inspiring monologue, she couldn't get rid of her apprehension. She still felt betrayed and little hurt that her best friend was dating the man she still had feelings. But she had broken up with Naruto three years ago. She needed to move on. And Sasuke was the man to help her.

It sounded wrong and quite possibly backwards, but she was using Sasuke to get over her obsession with Naruto.

"Hinata-chan?" Sakura said nervously, stepping over the threshold. She wore a turquoise jersey dress with an asymmetrical hem over a pair of charcoal gray silk cargos and turquoise one-inched wedge heel thong sandals. Her bubble gum hair was pulled back into pigtails and a white crocodile Dolce & Gabbana drawstring tote dangled from her shoulder.

Hinata smiled at her. "Hi, Sakura-chan, it's been a while."

Sakura lowered her eyes, reaching up to clutch the handle of her bag. "Uh, yeah. It . . . it has."

An awkward silence filled the room. Both women were clearly uncomfortable, especially with their love lives splashed all over the tabloids. But neither acknowledged it, each wondering what the other had to say.

Sakura sighed after a long moment and rubbed the back of her neck, her emerald eyes looking anywhere but the woman in front of her. "I came here, wondering if maybe, you wanted to go out for coffee? Unless, of course, you're busy, or whatever."

"No, I'm not." Hinata straightened and grabbed her rainbow stripped canvas bag. "Just down the street, right?"

Sakura gave a small smile, nodding. "I'm sorry I haven't called you in a while." She fell in step next to Hinata as they walked out the room and towards the elevator. "I was scared you might be busy or something." She chuckled awkwardly.

Hinata shook her head. "I haven't been doing much lately, unfortunately. My agent is getting fidgety, especially since I have a gallery opening in a few days." Her eyes glazed over. "I might be losing my touch."

Sakura felt her heart jam in her throat. She had always seen Hinata happiest behind a camera, even before they had gone into a modeling. You could always find her chatting up the photographer (she had dated two while they were starting out. It had helped them get some pretty good contacts) or checking the crew out as they set things up.

Hinata losing her touch broke her heart. She had seen Hinata's work before, it was beautiful. She always managed to capture everything perfect. Her photographers spoke thousands of words. Her eye for all things beautiful was amazing. To Sakura, and to millions more, there wasn't a more perfect artist. Hinata losing her touch wasn't possible. It wasn't right, wasn't fair.

Hinata sighed, her eyes falling to pristine white cowboy boots. "It's saddens me, to think that soon I might be retiring. I haven't been in the industry long, but even so, it's my life. I don't know what I would do if I couldn't do what I loved to do best."

Sakura cupped her shoulder, tears blurring her vision. "Oh god, Hinata-chan, that's so sad. I love your work, all of it, and I would go out of my mind if you retired so early. You're not even thirty yet." They stepped into the elevator and she placed an around Hinata's shoulders. "Maybe you're not losing your touch. Maybe you've got no inspiration. Maybe you need to . . . take a break for a while. Just so you can get back on your feet."

"Take a break?" Hinata bit her lip, unconsciously fiddling with her fingers. "For how long though? And what if . . . what if I can never make a come back? What if everyone forgets about me?" She dropped her head and sighed. "Oh, it's just so . . . hard."

Sakura gave her shoulder a comforting squeeze. "No one can forget you, Hinata-chan. You'll come back stronger and more experienced. You can only get better, never worse, whether you like to believe that or not." Sakura gave her soft smile. "'Practice makes perfect', remember?"

Hinata smiled back. "'A thin model is a happy model'. Yes, I remember." She shook her head. "I can honestly say our old agent won't be pleased when he sees me. I've gained two whole sizes since then."

"But you're still very pretty." Sakura winked at her. "And I'm sure Sasuke will agree with me."

And the awkwardness was back at full force. Hinata blushed as Sakura bit her lip in punishment, cursing herself for having said that. The elevator door dinged open and they both walked out, trying to find words to bridge the ever-growing gap between them.

After the awkward moment, Hinata cleared her throat. "S-so, how's everything with Naruto?"

Sakura felt her stomach knot at the dreaded question. She forced a smile, waving her hand through the air. "Oh, he's just like he was all those years ago. But I guess, now I tolerate it more, and a little bit more maturely." She cast a sideways glance at Hinata, to see if her expression would reveal her true feelings. But Hinata had her head lowered, her face hidden from Sakura's searching.

She brushed her bangs to the side and forced a cheery smile. "So how are you and Sasuke? I haven't heard anything especially juicy about you two in a while."

"There isn't much to say," Hinata shrugged, turning her lavender eyes on Sakura. "Naruto and you are the It couple as of the moment. Though, I guess we'll be back in the tabloids soon enough." She tucked her back closer to her side. "Sasuke hates having his business splashed across the front page of everything, and I don't particularly like it myself, so we try to keep a low profile."

Sakura heaved a dramatic sigh. "Ugh, you're so lucky! Last night, Naruto managed to rent a limo and the whole back room of my favorite restaurant." She smiled as she delicately pinched the pink diamond pendent on her gold necklace. "Just to give me a piece of jewelry. But it was really sweet of him, so I couldn't be too mad, you know?"

Hinata studied the diamond with a nostalgic smile. "When we were dating, he did the same thing for me too. He was always loud and obnoxious, but he was really attentive to what I wanted and what I would like."

Sakura shoved aside the burning guilt in her stomach as she nodded. "Yeah he is." She turned her smile on Hinata, who smiled back. "I know, um, you were surprised when I showed up with Naruto that night at Sunset in Tokyo. And um, I wanted to apologize for not telling you." Her heart jammed in her throat and she tried to swallow around it as tears brimmed her eyes. "For the past month and half, I've been nothing but a jealous freak. And when Naruto came along, and asked me out on that date, I just agreed, hoping maybe that I could get over my obsession with Sasuke."

She sniffled and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, careful with her mascara and eyeliner. "I wanted to be a good friend, and you know, be somebody you could gossip with about Sasuke. I hated myself for being such a bitch and bitchin' to myself about not having Sasuke to myself, but I really, really wanted you to be happy. I should have told you about me and Naruto, instead of trying to keep everything I did with him a secret." She sucked in a shaky breath and looked to Hinata, who was crying as well.

The women looked down at their feet, both wiping their tear-streaked faces. Neither said anything, but neither had anything to say. Everything that had ever complicated their relationship from beginning was out in the open. All there was left was the final judgment.

After a very long, very silent moment, Hinata said in a soft, shaky voice, "You were jealous of me?"

Sakura nodded, sniffling. "You were so . . . _perfect_, you know? You were just so sweet, and pretty and nice. I felt as if I didn't even compare to you. And especially since you were able to snag Uchiha Sasuke."

Hinata shook her head. "I'm not perfect though."

"You just don't know, do you?" Sakura smiled. "You've got this, quiet elegance about you. You're pretty, in a simply lovely way. I'm sure the reason Sasuke likes you so much is because you're so understanding, and so kind. You know just the right things to say, at the right moment. You're so comforting to other people and you're never thinking of yourself."

Hinata's eyes widened. "That's not true. All I've done is be a selfish witch ever since I saw you and Naruto together three days ago. I've been avoiding you like the plague, because I knew that this conversation would come up." A few more tears slid down her cheeks as Sakura stared at her. "I was jealous, and selfish and didn't even consider your feelings about me and Sasuke dating. I would have never begun dating him if I knew you liked him. But I was so happy when I was around him, I hated to think that there was something out there that could break us up."

"I would have never wanted that," Sakura sniffed. "I wanted you to be happy. You deserved it, especially after all that happened to you. You deserved to be smug and jealous and selfish, especially since you haven't be given the chance to in a long while."

Hinata hiccupped, brushing away a tear with the back of her hand. "I'm so sorry Sakura-chan, that you had to go through that, especially for my happiness. You didn't have to, you know."

Sakura shook her head. "I did though. If I hadn't, I wouldn't have met Naruto-kun again, or at least I wouldn't be dating him. And you wouldn't have met Sasuke, who makes you so happy. And we wouldn't be having this amazing heart-to-heart if I hadn't."

Hinata laughed and Sakura held out her arms. "I think this is the part where we hug and cry and get large hot chocolates with lots of fresh whipped cream and soy milk."

And that's exactly what they did.

--X--

"You two were fighting?" Sasuke said, gently stroking Hinata's bare spine. She nodded against his chest, her glossy auburn hair splayed everywhere from their early rendezvous. He raised his eyebrows. "Huh. It didn't seem like you two were fighting."

"That's because you don't understand women, Sasuke-kun," she smiled softly, tracing circles into his bicep. "We were avoiding each other for the past three days."

"Oh." Sasuke closed his eyes. "I thought you meant that you were bitchin' at each other." He smirked as a mischievous glint lit up his dark eyes. "We're you fighting over me?"

She laughed brightly, lifting her head up to look at him. "I wouldn't give you the satisfaction, Sasuke-kun."

He pressed a kiss to her forehead and sat up. "I don't need it. I got you." He slid from under his pristine white linen sheets, revealing his toned, stark-naked body. "Besides, there are better things to do than fighting."

She sat up in bed, holding the linen up against her chest. "And what's that?"

He tugged on his pants, without his underwear, and grabbed two tickets from his bed, smirking. "Like going to see a jazz band tonight at eight."

She smiled. "Yes, that is better than fighting."

* * *

I personally love a good, fluffing ending XD

Anyways, I'm sorry it's taking me so long to update! But now, I've got what, 4 days out of school?

Yeah baby! Party at CocoaAngel95's place! XD

I'm outtie, duckies! ~CocoaAngel95 :]


	18. Please Read, It's Actually Important

This is just an author's note, so don't get excitced. The reason I put this up is because I decided a few days ago that I needed to say this. But becasue I didn't write this in the other chapter, I have to tell you in this note.

Sorry, but I think the next chapter after this author's note will be the official end. Meaning, no more chapters for this story. I know what you're thinking. Why so soon? Why now, when things have gotten better.

My answer to this question is that I felt as if the story was finally winding down. I know there isn't a huge twist (you know me, I always love a good twist XD) but instead, it was very simple and very and short, considering how many chapters I usually write (and if you've read of my previous stories, you're probably surprised too^^). But I just feel as if it's coming to a stop. I might put up two more chapters. You'll know once I put up the next one.

I'm sorry to say that Glamour Shots is officially coming to an end, especially so soon. It was good while it lasted, or at least, that's what I like to think. Personally, I feel as if it was another great success of mine XD. After I finish this story, I'll have five under my belt. Which means I can become a beta! Yah!

It's always nice critiquing other people's work. But I'll just enjoy reading another author's work before it gets released to the rest of the Fanfiction network. Always an honor to be trusted enough to give a person advice for what to fix in their stories. I think I know what my career choice will be in the near future XD (I've got about 8 to 10 years- 4 in high school and 4 to 6 in college XD)

Anyways, I thank you for reading this, and I promise to have the next chapter up some time this during this week. XD

_~CocoaAngel95 :') is sad to see you go so soon._


	19. Jet Skiing Off into the Sunset

It was _originally_ a present.

Hinata viewed the pictures with little emotion, her lips never even leaving the straw of her venti Frappuccino with a caramel and extra whipped cream. Sitting in the cherry blossom park, in mid-August, sweating even in her spaghetti-strap lavender dress, white opaque cropped leggings and lavender flip-flops; she didn't much care for the pictures. It was, of course, about her. Only, this time, it wasn't a magazine featuring her and Sasuke's weeklong double date with Sakura and Naruto on Naruto's huge houseboat. Or any other double dating they had done in the past two months.

Nope, that didn't even come close to this. It was about her present to Sasuke that was splashed all over the tabloids.

She hadn't modeled in probably ten years now. But she had been working out, and wanted to give something _extra-special_ to Sasuke just to show him how much she had slimmed down. It was a silly whim, but a silly whim that wouldn't leave her mind. So, she had contacted a friend of hers and they set up a small, three-hour shoot. But those three hours had produced fifteen photos, and she only took three of those fifteen with her. They were, of course the most elegant, the simplest and the sexiest.

So the ones in the tabloids wasn't nearly as bad as the last one she had given to Sasuke.

In one of the pictures in the magazine, she was draped across black high-back wing chair. It was all Western style, with its intricate apple-wood claw-and-ball legs and elegance. She barely wore anything, just a slinky black silk negligee that was transparent, with a lavender slip that was just an inch longer, and a pair black Dolce & Gabbana stilettos. Her hair had been styled into romantic waves, and paired with smoky blue eye shadow and taupe lip-gloss, that highlighted her full lips.

She had one finger slipped under the strap, tugging it down to reveal more creamy skin. She had one leg thrown over the leg of the chair and one over the back. It showed she was flexible, and sexy. Perfect for bed. But of course, she hadn't liked it.

Well, not as much as the one with her practically naked, wearing a small, chest-length leather jacket, black lace boy shorts and knee-high lace-up stiletto boots, straddling a slick black Yamaha motorcycle between her toned legs. Her hair had been swept in a loose bun, with a pair of golden chopsticks sticking out the back. Of course, her makeup had been smoky blue eye shadow but instead of taupe lip-gloss, they had gone with ruby red lipstick that did immense justice to her pale skin and full lips.

Sasuke had loved it just as much as she did.

The tabloids would have had a field day on that one.

And she didn't think she would ever be able to handle a motorcycle as well as she did in that shoot.

Smiling to herself, she looked to the next photo. This one was she draped in a blue cashmere blanket, naked, of course. Her hair was up in a loose chignon and she was looking over her shoulder to the camera, her eyes half-lidded and her mouth open by the slightest fraction. Makeup was simple; soft pink lip-gloss and taupe eye shadow. It was all subtle lighting and simplicity. It was very elegant, yet very racy, because she was sitting seiza-style on the apple wood floor, roaring fire in a red brick and marble fireplace behind her. The blanket was wrapped loosely around her, drooping in the front to show a generous amount of cleavage. Hinata hummed her disappointment. Her expression hadn't come out quite right, so it looked more sexual and raunchy than it should have.

The last one of her standing on a balcony, the bay in the background as she leaned over the railing. She wore Sasuke's infamous leather jacket with nothing underneath and really short navy biker shorts, which hugged her perky butt. Her hair was down and since they were on location at Sasuke's apartment, the wind blew through her auburn tresses, allowing a few strands to caress her face. Her cheeks had flushed from the cold, and with clear gloss, it looked as if she were caught being simply beautiful. But when they snapped the picture, she had reached up to remove a strand from her lip-gloss. The jacket had shifted and showed a little more than necessary and instead of her looking simply beautiful, she looked ready for sex, her eyes half-lidded and looking flushed with excitement.

Now, with the tabloids making a big fuss about her very much exaggerated sex life (poor Toshi, her photo editor, and Jiro, her way too young set designer, had gotten dragged into the scandal as well) and how she should just dump Sasuke now. She propped her chin in her palm and continued reading the article. Obviously, the woman who wrote this piece of journalistic trash had a score to settle with Hinata. But of course, Hinata was too busy telling agents and modeling companies that she had her own career and that this was just for fun. Though it was always nice to make a comeback after a decade of being behind the camera.

But no, there was a reason for why she had stopped modeling. All the lights, all the action, it was too much. Too much of everything. Too much partying. Too much heartbreak. Too much _heartache_. If she had stayed, she would probably be in a psyche ward, rocking on her haunches and muttering about getting her next fix. The minute she had quit, Hiashi had kicked her out of the house, saying she was a disgrace to the Hyuga name simply because she didn't want to work behind a desk all day.

A sigh escaped her waxy lips as she shook her cup. The ice cubes rattled around inside and cold seeped into her hands, numbing her fingers. In about twenty minutes, Sasuke, Sakura and Naruto were supposed to show up. Another double date, since dating single was just not worth it anymore. What was the fun in staring into each other's eyes if someone's not going to crack a joke about what you would do later?

Flipping to the next page, she continued to read the woman's words. Of course, all women out there pining for Sasuke would agree with her. They would say Hinata was a tramp. Hinata didn't deserve to have Sasuke. Sasuke had enough heartbreak; he didn't need it from his girlfriend. And of course, they would go their friends and make a huge fuss and quite possibly bitch about how they were much deserving of Sasuke than Hinata was.

Of course, they only _thought_ that.

A bright candy apple red Ferrari F430 pulled up at the curb of the park and Sakura shot out. She stalked across the grass and towards Hinata, despite her bright white satin slides, jean miniskirt and pink lace-trimmed cami. Her hair was pulled back in pigtails and her emerald eyes were wide with rage behind her white Dolce & Gabbana wrap-around tortoise shell sunglasses. She was probably punching holes into the floor as she marched across the green grass of the cherry blossom park.

Hinata felt a blush cover her face as her mind finally allowed her to realize that her most intimate pictures were released to the media. And Sakura had seen the article and was clearly pissed at the woman who wrote. (There was no denying it now. It was either a _really_ gay man or a very pissed-off woman who had written that much trash about Hinata.) Hinata ducked her head and tried to hide herself behind her bangs, her face turning redder by the second.

"I am _pissed_!" Sakura announced, her French-manicured hand slamming down on the picnic table. She jutted out one hip and slammed a hand on it, her jaw clenched and her body tensed, ready to fight. "That woman had no right to write that piece of smut. Toshi and Jiro certainly don't deserve that kind of publicity! And you sure as hell don't either!"

Hinata felt herself blush harder with Sakura's anger. "Calm down, Sakura-chan. It's only a woman scorned-"

"She hasn't me at woman scorned until she's met me!"

"Yeah!" Naruto roared, marching across the lawn to meet his girlfriend, shaking a fist and growling like a fox. "No one deserves to be trashed like that! And especially not you, Hina-chan! Sakura-kun's right! That bitch doesn't have the right to write dammit!"

Sasuke sat next to Hinata, slipping an arm around her waist. "Calm down, Twiddle Dee and Twiddle Dumb."

Hinata blushed harder as he squeezed her side, his eyes roaming over the photos. He barely paid attention to the words, just stared at the pictures. He reached over and tapped the last one with his finger, raising an eyebrow at her. "How come I didn't get this one?"

"Because I messed it up." Hinata blushed as he looked to her. "I . . . I wasn't supposed to reach up towards my face."

Naruto reached over and yanked the magazine out from under Sasuke's hand, his clear blue eyes scanning over the pictures and flipping through the pages. And then he paused, raised both eyebrows and looked to Hinata. "You can ride a motorcycle?"

Hinata's face turned bright red as Sasuke reached over and snatched the magazine back, giving Naruto an icy glare. "Can't you see she's under enough stress already, dumbass?"

"It'll be that woman who'll be under stress when I'm done with her!" Sakura snapped. She hopped to her feet and grabbed Hinata's wrist, pulling the woman to her feet. "Let's go have a chitchat with her! A nice, physical chitchat!"

"Let's not and say we did." Sasuke leveled a look at Sakura as he pulled Hinata into his lap, propping his elbows on the table behind his back. "It's just the tabloids being tabloids. It's their job to start things. To start drama. You're supposed to ignore it."

"But I can't!" Sakura howled, waving her own copy of the magazine in the air. "I am pissed! That woman has no right to trash Hinata-chan like that! No right at all!"

"None!" Naruto echoed from his spot at the picnic table, reading the article. "None whatsoever!"

"Please," Hinata pleaded with them, biting her lip to hold back laughter. "There's no need to be so loud about it."

Sakura flopped back on the bench and leaned into Naruto, her arms folded tightly as she read the article. Sasuke shook his head and caressed her hand, rubbing soothing circles against the back of her hand. She felt her face cool, even though Sakura was grunting with anger as she snatched the article from Naruto and read for him.

It wasn't until Naruto's eyebrows shot up that her face heated up. She bowed her head and bit her lip, leaning into Sasuke. It hadn't actually been a problem until Sakura made a big deal out of it. But that was Sakura; caring, loud, protective Sakura.

"When did you do these anyways?" Sakura asked, propping her chin in her hand and looking towards Hinata. "These aren't half bad."

"_Half _bad?" Sasuke smirked as Sakura's cheeks turned bright pink. "I'm gonna have to say these are a lot better than _yours_."

"Hey now," Naruto chuckled. "We don't need another fight on our hands. I like double dating."

Hinata glanced towards Sakura, who rolled her eyes and gently shoved Naruto. "Oh please. You just want a reason to show off all your silly toys."

Naruto pouted. "My houseboat is not a toy. Neither is my four-wheeler or my R.V."

"A R.V. that has _two _floors and a freaking _wet bar_," Sasuke corrected, popping a cigarette between his lips, but not lighting it. "And don't forget your jet skis, all _six_ of them."

"Shut up, _teme_," Naruto glared at his friend across the table, folding his arms across his barrel chest. "Just 'cause you don't have jet skis doesn't mean you need to get pissy with me."

"I don't need jet skis to occupy my time," Sasuke said wryly, bringing Hinata closer to him. "I got Hinata for that."

Sakura laughed as Hinata's face turned bright red. "Well, at least he's honest, Hinata-chan."

"Yeah, a little _too_ honest," Naruto muttered. He glanced at his expensive digital watch and a grin practically split his tanned face from ear to ear. "Let's go! It's a perfect day for jet skiing!"

Sakura shook her head. "Did we not just discuss that?"

"But jet skiing is fun!" Naruto whined. "Come on!"

Hinata felt a smile tug at her lips. "It is a nice day . . . for jet skiing in the bay."

Sakura groaned as Naruto bolted from the table, his arms in the air as he whooped. "Now you've done it."

"It'll be fun," Hinata smiled, reaching for her beach bag. "And I've always wanted to try jet skiing."

* * *

Haha, jet skiing . . .

I've always wanted to go jet skiing . . .

Anyways, this is my love!

Goodbye, my duckies! Love ya 'cause ya love me ~CocoaAngel95 :'}


End file.
